


Ride

by TinderWulf



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Daddy Kink, F/M, Gossip News, Jealous Kaidan Alenko, Motorcycle Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-27
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-03 08:00:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 29,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15814779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TinderWulf/pseuds/TinderWulf
Summary: After Shepard has the best one-night stand of her life, she finds out some startling news.What begins as a quick affair, turns both participants on their head as they soak in new information.I suck at summaries.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was something I wrote in a hurry and edited for a long time before my wonderful beta, Melpomene21 read it for me. 
> 
> I'd also like to note that soon there will be a big fic, co-authored by myself and Melpomene21, hitting the fandom. For the time being, enjoy one of my favorite pairings :D
> 
> All belongs to Bioware, I just like to play.

Another mission done and shore leave earned. The bar she’d heard about was supposed to be more low key and less club. While finding a bedmate sounded nice, she really didn’t want to endure the loud thumping that a club offered. Instead, she opted for the quieter choice.

Earth hadn’t changed much since she’d been there last. Specifically Las Vegas. The air was warm and dry, the sun long set, and the stars hiding behind the glow of the cities lights. But where she was heading was outside of Vegas.

Shepard wore a simple cotton dress and sandals in hopes that she’d attract some attention. The dress was form fitting but not so tight that it left little to the imagination. More of a teasing style. Being out of uniform was all that really mattered to her.

As she approached the building, she noticed several old time motorcycles out front, not far from the transport terminal. And they were beautiful. Especially the blue that sparkled purple. Almost like her biotics. Real leather seats, too. That must have cost an insane amount of credits. Especially the paint job.

Stepping in the door, her nose was hit with cigarette smoke and fried foods. An old time jukebox sat in the back, a few couples swaying near it as the sound of cracking pool balls filled the air.

This place was perfect.

Finding a place at the bar, she pulled up the electronic menu to peruse their wares.

“What can I get ya, sweetheart?” a big bearded man asked as he laid his rag aside.

“Is the meat real or vat-grown?” She asked. She really wanted a burger.

“It’s real, my own cattle,” the man replied proudly.

“No kidding?” She said in surprise. _How rare was that?_ “I’d like a half-pound cheeseburger with everything and an order of fries.”

“And to drink?”

“A double of the good whiskey, top shelf, and whichever beer on tap is freshest,” she answered.

“Be still my heart,” he teased with a wink. “You’ve got good taste, doll.”

“Do you carry any non-human alcohol?” She asked as she closed the menu.

“We have ryncol for the higher grade biotics, but you have to have credentials for that one. We also have Serrice Ice Brandy and a few other asari beverages,” he told her as he slid the shot to her.

While ryncol sounded good, she really didn’t want to give away she was Alliance. Otherwise there would be millions of questions. She didn’t care for the asari alcohol. “I’ll stick with this,” she told him as he placed the beer in front of her. Her hair would cover her port with no issue, so long as she didn’t mess with it. Having it tickle her skin was not a sensation she was used to.

People left her alone. That was unexpected but she could feel someone’s gaze on her. Behind her. She should’ve chose a better place to sit. But it mattered little. Once she was done eating she’d be on her way. The weather was too nice not to enjoy it. Besides, it was likely they were taking in her scars. They weren’t big but they were noticeable. With the medical advances, scars were rare. It was a personal choice to keep them.

“Enjoy your meal, doll?” The barkeep asked.

“Best burger I’ve had in years, love,” she replied. Finishing off her drink, she paid her tab making sure to tip the man. It had been well worth the price. “I’ll see ya later.”

The moment she stepped outside she was greeted with the warm desert air. She loved it so much. There were a few new bikes in the makeshift parking lot. She couldn’t help but admire them, her fingers grazing over the soft leather.

“Like what you see?” A deep voice asked from behind.

Of course she’d be caught admiring the bluish purple bike that caught her eye earlier. “It’s beautiful,” she said before removing her fingers.

“Do you want a ride?” the silver haired man asked.

She gave him her full attention. A long scar across his face, his body surprisingly muscular. Jeans, white tee shirt, leather jacket. A wealthy man that like to live humbly it looked like. “Ride you or the bike?”

The man’s lips twitched in a suppressed smile as he approached her. “Both, but I wouldn’t be opposed to just giving a beautiful woman a ride on the bike.”

“This one’s yours?” she asked, her fingers once again finding the soft leather.

“Yes.”

“Interesting color choice,” she told him. “Most men wouldn’t choose purple as the secondary color.”

“What can I say? I like purple.” He stepped closer to her, and his bike, as he removed the leather jacket before presenting it to her. “While I prefer your scars, it would be best to wear this just in case.”

“Are you a poor driver?” She teased as she allowed him to place the jacket on her. It smelled of worn leather and oil. So very enticing to her senses.

“No, but I’d rather have you writhing under me than spending the night in a hospital,” he replied, his fingers grazing her collarbone.

“You ready to give me a ride? I can only be so patient with the scent of leather surrounding me.”

“Do I need to worry about you running off with my jacket?” He asked her as he zipped it up.

“Definitely,” she replied with a smile. She tensed when his hand moved under her hair, the tips of his fingers grazing her amp. She released a breathe waiting for the rejection.

“Relax,” he whispered. She inhaled sharply as his lips grazed her brow. “What’s your name?”

“Jane.”

“Steven,” he replied. “Now let’s go, I’m eager to be between your legs.”

As soon as she was on, he started the bike and damned if the vibrations didn’t arouse her more. She needed skin to skin as soon as possible. As they hit a straight away, she unzipped the jacket and quickly unhooked the straps of her dress before pushing the top down, baring her breasts to the desert air. Steven only stiffened for a second as she raised the back of his shirt just enough to press her breasts against him. Her pleased sigh was swallowed by downshifting. As the city lights faded and street lights became scarce, Steven gripped her hand from his hip and moved it to his groin where his erection was pressing against the denim.

So distracted by releasing his cock, she didn’t noticed he’d slowed down until he pulled off the side of the empty road. “Get up here,” he commanded heatedly. She quickly slid her panties off and stuffed them into his coat pocket before climbing on the bike, facing him. “Temptress,” he said as his hands slipped into the open jacket and cupped her breasts. Using the saddlebags as leverage, she easily raised her hips and took him inside of her.

Steven’s hands moved to her hips as she used his shoulders to hold herself up. It was extremely intoxicating with the scent of leather and aftershave in her nose and a thick cock inside of her, the vibrations from the motorcycle aiding the incoming orgasm.

Then she was crying out. Her body lighting the dark night as his teeth grazed her ear before his own grunts had him twitching inside of her. She couldn’t stop the smile when his nose brushed hers as he removed himself from her and put the bike back in gear.

In less than ten minutes they pulled into a brightly lit garage making her bury her face in his neck.

Before she could adjust and take in his home, he had scooped her up and carried her up a set of stairs to a dimly lit bedroom. His mouth on hers as he stripped her, their tongues battling for dominance that she gladly let him have this round.

Then he was thrusting hard into her, his body over hers, his near black eyes taking in her every reaction as her nails dug into his firm ass. And once again he filled her, his soft moan making her shudder as she felt the warmth of his seed.

After they caught their breath, she went to stand only to be pulled back down into the bed. “I’m not done,” he told her as he pulled the blanket over her.

“Stamina of a turian and a magnificent cock? How’d I get so lucky?” She said as she settled against him.

“Body of a goddess and vixen,” he said sleepily. “Pretty sure I’m the lucky one.” He pulled her closer before whispering, “Don’t disappear until I get to have you again.”

-

She awoke several hours later to his cock pressing against her hip. She gently pushed him on his back before throwing the blanket back and straddling him. His moan made her nipples hard and heart flutter with excitement as heat pooled into her core at an alarming rate. It should be too soon for another orgasm but her body told her different.

A whimper escaped her throat as she ground her hips into him, his hands were everywhere they could possibly touch before he settled with one wrapped around the front of her throat and the other dipping between their bodies to graze her clit. “Come for me, Jane,” he whispered roughly.

Her body obeyed his command. Biotics flared as she cried out her pleasure, his hips rolling up into hers as her body stiffened. Then he was once again emptying his seed inside of her, his hands flexing on her throat. “Fuck,” he ground out before his body shuddered and relaxed against the bed.

This had to be the best one-night stand she’d ever experienced. There was definitely something to be said about older men. “I need to go,” she told him apologetically.

“Let me take you home,” he said as he caressed her thighs.

“Thanks, but I’ll catch a transport,” she said gently as she leaned down to kiss him. “Thanks for the ride, Steven.”

“My pleasure, Jane,” he replied before sweeping her up in a heated kiss that left her not wanting to leave at all. “You could stay,” he said as if reading her thoughts.

“It’s already four and I’ve got a very busy day.” He said nothing as he kissed her again before she lifted herself off of him. “Maybe I’ll see you around.”

“Hope so.” He muttered. “Just don’t take off with my jacket, Jane.”

She couldn’t help the laughter as she hooked the straps on her dress and slid her feet into her sandals.

The ride back to her hotel was rather boring and thankfully didn’t take long. She needed to be back in her room before her mother awoke in the room next to hers. While she really wasn’t ready to wash the scent of her bed partner off just yet, she knew she had to. Her mother would know something was up if she wasn’t freshly showered. That would turn into questions that were uncomfortable. She wanted a mother, not a bestie.

Shepard had just taken her first sip of coffee when her mother knocked on the door. She was glad they didn’t get adjoining rooms, then she’d have zero privacy.

“You’re up earlier than I expected,” Hannah said with an overly false smile.

“Not adjusted to the time yet,” Shepard lied. _I was enjoying a rather devilishly sexy man._

“Ah,” her mother nodded, taking the lie easily. “I’ve got a few things to do but I’ll meet you at the hotel restaurant at eight.”

“Why not just eat here?” Shepard asked, confused.

“Well, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

“Got a boyfriend?” Shepard teased. It always flustered her mother.

“No, your Godfather.” Hannah returned, her cheeks darkening. “You know I have no interest in men anymore.”

“Ah yes, you’re batting for the other team,” Shepard replied remembering that conversation a few months ago. “So no girlfriend?”

“Nothing serious,” Hannah said with a small sad smile.

Hannah was the type of woman that desperately wanted to be loved. And she found it in all the wrong people. Jane wanted her to be happy, it didn’t matter the gender or species as long as they treated her mother with respect. She’d told Hannah as much.

“Wait….godfather? This is the first I’ve heard of this,” Jane said confused.

“I know and that’s my fault. He doesn’t know you either but your father had him in his will as the godfather. I accepted it naturally since I really didn’t know anyone. And besides, he trustworthy.”

“Mom, Dad’s been gone for over a decade,” Jane reminder her.

“Time got away from me I’m afraid. Besides, it never seemed like a good time between all of your training and missions,” Hannah replied. “Like I said, it’s my fault. But you’re here and he’s in town for a few days. I doubt your schedules will align like this again.”

“I’m a little old for a godfather, Mom,” Jane told her gently.

“You’re never too old for more family,” Hannah responded quietly, her eyes losing some of their fake joy. “Anyway, I don’t know him well, so I’m just going to introduce you and be on my way. I’ve got to return to work.”

Shepard laughed dryly, “You’re just going to leave me with some stranger?”

“We both know you can handle yourself.”

It was Shepard’s turn to remember bad memories. Fighting for her life. Special Forces training under Anderson’s not so gentle words of encouragement. _Get your ass up, Shepard. Don’t be a loser. Don’t be a quitter. Keep your eyes open cadet!_ That had been intense.

With Admiral Kahoku as her superior, she’d ended up finding another compassionate man like her father, and Anderson. Gentle guidance hidden behind harsh orders. They called her kid and told her they were proud.

It made her miss her dad. But she was grateful for the support.

“Alright, I must go. I’ll see you later dear,” Hannah said before pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Hotel restaurant at eight, don’t forget. The reservation is under my name.”

“Ma’am, yes, ma’am,” Jane replied. Kahoku kept her mother busy. But then, Hannah thrived at running a ship.

When Jane arrived at the place, it was stuffed full of people. Not exactly her type of place to be but she needed to get this over with.

“Hannah Shepard,” Jane told the host.

“Ah, yes,” the man replied as he marked the datapad. “You’re the first to arrive.” She was quickly shown her table, thankfully a small booth at the back of the place, before the man disappeared. Water was quickly placed in front of her before she ordered coffee and set herself to wait.

She didn’t have to wait long. Her nose was buried in her omnitool when a recently familiar voice whispered her name. “Jane?”

Her shoulder tensed as she looked up. “Fuck,” she squeaked before covering her face with her hands and groaning. “Please tell me you aren’t who I’m supposed to be meeting today?”

He took the booth across from her, heavily dropping into it as he exhaled. “I’m afraid I am.”

“This is bad,” she whispered as her hands dropped onto the table. Just when she thought it couldn’t get worse, her mother appeared.

“I’m so sorry I can’t stay, I’m being called out to load supplies. Jane, this is Admiral Steven Hackett. Admiral, this is my daughter, Commander Jane Shepard.”

“Admiral?” Shepard said just as Hackett’s eyes widened.

“Commander?”

_Fuck, fuck, fuck._


	2. Chapter 2

The silence was heavy as they uncomfortably stared at each other. Hannah had left to oversee her ship leaving the two very intimately acquainted marines in a bustling restaurant.

“Are you hungry?” Steven asked quietly.

“Not even a little,” she said before adding “ _Dad_ ” under her breath and laughing without humor.

“Perhaps we could discuss this privately?”

Yeah, why not. She paid the tab, “Let’s go.” This was so fucked up! She’d spent the night fucking her honorary dad. Hysterical laughter bubbled up as soon as the elevator door closed.

“I’m not finding the humor in this, Jane,” he told her as she slid down the wall holding her stomach.

And he just spent the night fucking his daughter, filling her with his cum.

She couldn’t breathe as she held her stomach. “You…” she tried only for the silent laughter to shake her body, tears falling down her cheeks. “Me…” she squeaked. Spirits it wouldn’t stop. She’d lost her damn mind.

The elevator stopped, an older couple gave them an odd look as they boarded. “I personally didn’t find the joke funny, but kids these days,” he said matter-of-factly, his shoulders shrugging as she struggled to stand.

“Sorry,” she whispered. “My dad just doesn’t get my humor.”

As soon as the elevator got to her floor, she was down the hall with Hackett on her heels. She had to clear her throat to keep from bursting into laughter again. As it was, she nearly forgot how to open her door.

And of course, she wanted nothing more than to bed him again. Perhaps coming here hadn’t been the best idea. Bypassing the bed, she sat down heavily in the same chair she’d occupied when she learned she had a godfather. What a fucking mess.

“If your father were alive he’d kill me. Twice.” Steven growled out as he paced the floor in front of the bed.

“Three times,” she said before choking down laughter.

“Why is this so funny to you?”

“Because my _daddy_ gave me a hell of a ride,” she whispered as her shoulders shook.

Hackett groaned before sitting on the bed. “I should’ve wore my uniform last night.” She snorted, earning her a heated glare as she rose from the chair. “I should’ve recognized you from the Blitz but because you aren’t under my command, I didn’t bother doing anything but reading the reports.”

“It’s not fraternization if I’m not under your command,” she told him as she poured herself a cup of old coffee. _A very small technicality…but, no, it still felt like fraternization_. His eyes told her he felt the same. “Besides, unless you read my file you wouldn’t know because I took my grandmother’s maiden name.”

“Shouldn’t you have known?”

“For one, Steven is a common name. And two, I only found out _after_ I washed your cum off! And all she told me was I have a godfather!” She growled. His eyes darkened before he groaned again. His jeans becoming a bit more snug. “Want me to take care of that, Daddy?” She purred teasingly.

“I need to go,” he said as he stood like his cock wasn’t half hard.

“I’ll see you around,” she told him with a chuckle.

\--

“How’d breakfast go, Jane?” Hannah asked as she removed their takeout from the bag.

“It went well,” Jane lied.

“Oh good,” Hannah replied with a relieved sigh. “I ship out in the morning.”

“I have to catch my transport tonight,” Jane told her.

“Well, I’m glad we got to see each other for a few days.”

“Me too, Mom.” And got the ride of her life. _Damn it_. She ate the bland food but it wouldn’t be enough. She pulled up the menu for the bar she’d gone to the day before and ordered a meal to go. She’d just pick it up on her way to the Alliance transport hub. Her mother really had no clue how much food she needed to keep her energy levels consistent.

-

The bike she wanted to be there wasn’t, but it was probably for the best since she still hadn’t worked through it all. It was just hard to let a good dick go.

The big burly man behind the counter gave her a big smile when he recognized her. “What can I say?” She said with a wink. “It’s damn good meat.” She declined his offer of ryncol when he noticed her amp. “I’m on duty, but I’ll catch ya next time I around this area.”

“I’ll hold ya to that, doll!”

She said her goodbyes and booked it back to the waiting skycar. It looked like her orders would take her to the Citadel before catching another transport. Maybe she can find herself a turian to wipe her skin clean of Steven. _Admiral_ Hackett.


	3. Chapter 3

Six long months with no time off had left her exhausted. But the transport would be landing near Vegas soon enough and she couldn’t wait for one of those damn burgers. The only downside was the biotic that was shadowing her. Probably hoping she’d go to bed with him even though she’d shown no interest. He was quite striking though. Dark hair and skin, chocolate colored eyes. And his blushes were pretty cute, but she just wasn’t into it.

Besides, there was a gunnery chief drooling over him.

Thus far she’d played the clueless friend. She guessed it was time to play clueless and matchmaker. Just to get Alenko off her ass.

By the time she made it to her room and changed into jean shorts and a tank top, she debated whether or not if she _wanted_ to go out just to get a burger. Until her stomach rumbled at her. _Stupid biotics_. Quickly pulling up the information, she sent in her order. She’d just go grab it and bring it back so she could fall asleep after her food coma.

“Doll!” The barkeep said as soon as she stepped inside.

“My favorite tavern wench!” she returned with a genuine smile.

“Not staying for a drink, love?”

“Not tonight, I just got in. Maybe tomorrow,” she told him before she yawned. “I just want to stuff my face and sleep for a day.”

“A shot of ryncol to aid the muscles?” He asked her.

“Hell yes,” she replied.

“On the house tonight, love,” he said with a pat to her arm.

She paid the tab for her food before giving the man a kiss to his bearded cheek. “Thanks, just what I need tonight.”

“Been a stressful deployment?” He asked his face portraying real concern.

“They call me “The Butcher” now, Frank,” she told him seriously. “But don’t believe everything you see on the news.”

He lifted the sleeve of his shirt to show a familiar tattoo, Special Forces. “Don’t I know it…”

As soon as she was out the door, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before releasing it slowly. Torfan. Even more of a clusterfuck than the Blitz had been. Mentally shaking it off, she opened her eyes only to inhale sharply at the blue-purple bike in front of her. How had she not noticed it?

A soft, heavy leather jacket covered her shoulders. “Do you want a ride?”

She swallowed thickly as her spine tingled pleasantly before turning. “You or the bike?”

“Both, but I wouldn’t be opposed to just giving a beautiful woman a ride on the bike.” Steven took the paper bag with her food in it and wrapped it in plastic before placing it in the saddlebag and returning his attention to her. “It works better if your arms are in it,” he teased.

_Duh, Shepard. Pull yourself together._

The shudder she felt when his fingers grazed her neck was unexpected but very welcome. Especially since she’d had the damnedest time finding a bed mate that her body reacted to so easily these last months.

“Do you think this wise, Steven?”

“Wise? No,” he told her quietly. “I’ve tried for months to move forward but I always come back to the memories of you writhing beneath me.” Her gasp made his eyes darken. “Your body moving on mine... No it isn’t wise, in fact it’s probably the most stupid thing I’ve ever done in my life. But I know I want you.”

“Oh,” she whimpered dumbly.

“Unless you’d rather have someone else bed you?” She shook her head no. Been there, tried that, failed miserably. “Get on the bike, Jane. I’m eager to be between your legs again.”

The ride was uneventful even if her core was heated and every bump made her gasp as the material of her shorts pressed against her clit. And the occasional scent of his aftershave only made her grip his hips tighter.

As soon as they were in his house, he guided her to the kitchen and told her to eat before he excused himself.

She had the food down in minutes.

When she was afraid she’d fall asleep waiting for him, she stood and made her way through the first floor only stopping when she came across a gorgeous piano. She lifted the lid and played a slow melody when hands circled her waist. The fresh scent of aftershave told her he’d likely showered and shaved.

“Would you play for me?” He asked her quietly.

“Maybe when I’m not dead on my feet,” she told him. She gasped when he lifted her, she hadn’t even felt his muscles shift.

When her back hit his bed, she expected to be stripped with the same urgency as their first tryst. But he was slow in revealing her skin to him. He had her gasping and moaning before she was even naked.

Tears threatened to spill as he held her on the brink of release, a sob escaping against her will when his mouth denied her fulfillment again and again.

His blue eyes studied her as he slowly filled her, his hand keeping her from rocking her hips up into him as he stilled. “Please,” she begged, a tear spilling over.

“Not yet,” he whispered as he hilted.

“Why?”

“Let me savor you, Jane.”

All she could do was receive as he pinned her hands above her head. Her orgasm so close she didn’t dare breathe, but he stopped again. She whined as she was held on the edge again, tears falling as she tried to move her hips, but he was too heavy. “Steven,” she whimpered. It was nearly too much to be tortured this way. Another sob left her when he moaned.

“Let me worship you,” he whispered as his hips moved against her. Her hands flexed as it built again, her whines and moans of displeasure ignored when he denied her. “Gods you’re so beautiful, sweetheart.” He thrust hard into her, his mouth against her ear. “A goddess.”

She arched up into him only for him to halt his movement again. “I swear,” she choked out. “If you don’t let me cum I’m gonna toss you off of me and leave.”

His chuckle made her shiver. “Would you really throw your godfather off you, child?”

 _Oh dear spirits, that should not be as arousing as it was_ , she thought. “Daddy,” she whispered, his body shuddering on top of her. “Please make me cum,” she begged. Steven released her hands in favor of threading his fingers into her hair and devouring her mouth, his tongue hot and demanding against her own. His lips left as quickly as they came as he leaned up to watch her. The coil in her core once again tightened, “Steven,” she whispered like a prayer only for him to growl down at her.

“What was that?” He asked, his voice dark as his hand tightened in her hair. “You want me to deny you again?”

“Daddy,” she said quickly, a cry of pleasure leaving her throat as he jerked his hips hard into her.

“Good girl.”

There was nothing she could do as the coil broke inside of her. Her back arched off the bed as a scream stuck in her throat, her biotics flaring more than she ever remembered as the man moving above her moaned and ground his hips into her. Pleasure so powerful she was sure she would die from the intensity.

When the waves finally disappeared, she opened her eyes to see Steven watching her. “Are you okay?” He asked her gently.

“Best orgasm of my life,” she muttered. “Pretty sure nothing can top that.”

He gave her a chaste kiss before he untangled himself from her. “Are you hungry?”

“No.”

“Want a drink?”

“Water,” she said after a moment of hesitation. She watched as he left the bed and retrieved a bottle of water from the mini fridge across the room. While she was appreciating the view, he was doing the same.

“You really are beautiful,” he told her as he rejoined her on the bed.

Sitting up, she kissed his shoulder before taking a drink of the water then offering it to him. “I should probably get back to my room or else the others will wonder what happened to me.”

“You’re staying. We’ll get your bag tomorrow,” he told her.

“If anyone finds out…” she started.

“They won’t, Jane. Besides, I updated my files, you’re officially my goddaughter.”

Well then, there wasn’t anything to argue about. Her staying here wouldn’t be odd at all. Except for the fact that he was balls deep inside of her mere minutes ago. And she was begging him to let her orgasm.

For fuck’s sake what a mess. Again.

“I’m going to enjoy filling you, girl,” he growled as pushed her back against the pillows, her body shivering and nipples tightening in excitement.


	4. Chapter 4

“We’re pinned down!” Williams called. “Surrounded.”

_Fuck!_ This mission had been crap from the start. If she survived it, she was going to kill someone. “I’m on the way, Ash. Objective?”

“Complete,” Alenko replied breathily. It was likely he was almost maxed out.

“Jones, get in there and get them out. No matter what happens, get that intel to Kahoku,” she ordered.

“Aye, Ma’am.”

A team of four expected to infiltrate some terrorist group, get the information, and get out. Easy peasy. Bullshit. Jones took a vent while she went in the front door and started tossing grenades. It was all it took to get their attention off of Ash and Kaidan. “Jones incoming,” she said quietly.

She didn’t know how long she jumped from cover to cover taking out bad guys. Thirty minutes? Five?

“We’re clear, get out of there!” Kaidan said.

“Shit, you’ve got incoming, Shepard!” Ash said frantically.

“Fuck. Go, get the information out of here,” she ordered.

“What?!” Alenko called.

“That’s an order! Go!” She hoped to God they’d done as ordered. Especially since she was being surrounded.

“Drop your weapons!” a merc said, her voice digitized. With a sigh, she did as ordered. “Where’s the others?”

“What others?” Shepard replied.

“Don’t play coy with me, Alliance.”

Her biotic trainer was going to kill her if she survived this. Taking a deep breath and drooping her shoulders in false defeat, she quickly activated a dome electrocuting those within it before she used everything she had and pushed the dome as far as she could while taking off in a dead run into the woods.

She had minutes to hide before they came to. And that was being positive. Her port burned causing her to misstep before jerking her helmet off, reaching back and pulling the amp. She’d over did it. She would be fortunate if there wasn’t permanent damage. But she could run< she thought as she replaced her helmet. That was the only good news she could come up with.

The alarms blared behind her in the distance. She had no idea how far she’d ran. Only that her lungs burned and legs ached, but she kept going. She passed a cave, an obvious hiding spot. If there’d been time she’d have set a trap. As it was, she would be lucky to escape.

_Don’t be a quitter._ Anderson’s voice echoed in her head with each thud of her feet on the ground.

She ran and ran until she saw a small hunting shack. Another obvious choice. She only went in to see if there was any food. Anything to help her with energy. Except, the floor sounded hollow. She lifted an ugly rug to find a small hatch. Lifting it she eyed the old wood ladder. It wasn’t like she had a lot of choice. The cabin was bare of anything edible. Not even a water. She wasn’t going to be able to run much longer.

With the sound of yelling and thrusters not too far off… She quickly maneuvered into the opening.

The ladder creaked under her as she pulled the hatch closed only enough to pull the rug back over it. Then she was in complete darkness. Carefully descending to the bottom, she turned on her helmet light. There were crates and that looked to be about it. Quickly squeezing in between a couple crates stacked caddy corner against the wall, she squatted down and turned out her light.

They liked to pick on her for being a “tiny thing” but being small had its advantages. She curled up and waited. It was funny how darkness and small spaces had a way of making time stretch. With her suit dark, she had no clue how much time passed before she finally heard footfalls thudding in the tiny cabin before the hatch was opened.

“Why are they making us look for her still?” A man grumbled. “They saw the N7 emblem. She probably flew away all secret like.”

“You are a complete idiot,” A female retorted. “Go down and check out the bunker I see footprints.”

“No shit, dumbass,” The man said. “Our supplier was down there yesterday. Don’t you remember? Small Asian man, tiny feet?”

The female sighed. “Right. Damn. What do you know about special forces?”

“They’re a breed of their own, that’s for damn sure. Stay awake for days, sprint for miles without resting…”

“Yeah I get it, superhuman. Shut it, let’s go. She’s probably miles from here if she hasn’t been picked up already.”

She released her breathe as the hatch slammed down. And locked it.

_Son of a fucking shit fuck._

Well, she wasn’t going out the way she came in. Activating her light she started scanning her surroundings in better detail. She wasn’t going to panic. There was no way in hell these crates could fit through the hatch, that meant there was another exit somewhere.

The air was humid so that meant water. That was good news. If it was drinkable. She quickly powered up her omnitool and activated her beacon. It was doubtful they would get the SOS with her underground, but she was exhausted. Her port hurt and her muscles burned. She had one injection of medigel. No stims. One biobar and no water.

With the adrenaline coursing through her right now, she was fine. But the second it stopped? The little pains would be horrible.

Shepard scanned the wall finding a powerline. She followed it to a box pretty well hidden in the dark bunker, then she overloaded it. A door slid open and cool humid air hit her. With a quick prayer there was no one out there, she turned off her flashlight and used the HUD display in her helmet to guide her through the tunnel.

It took an hour to wind her way through. As the adrenaline wore off, the pain became more intense. By the time she made it out, she was near crawling. She couldn’t enjoy the view of being behind a waterfall. Even if it had been one of the many things she’d wanted to experience in her life.

Instead, she scanned a puddle of water. Finding it drinkable, she injected the medigel into her suit and wolfed down her biobar in two bites before greedily drinking the water on the ground. Her next objective was a hiding place.

With her biotics out and only a pistol on her hip, she could only hide. Her beacon should be sending out her SOS with her being a little more out in the open so all she had to do was wait.

The scanner lit up again as she scanned the pond in front of her and the walls. There were plenty of places she could squeeze, but they were noticeable. All except the one in the pond. With the waterfall about fifty yards ahead, hiding right on the edge of the shallow pond and the waterfall was probably her best bet at survival. So long as her armor held up and the water wasn’t too cold to survive if it didn’t.

Once again, she was out of choices. She slid into the knee high deep water and slowly made her way to the edge to hide under an outlying rock. That’d give her about a foot of room above the water, just enough.

It wasn’t comfortable. Not even a little bit, but she squeezed in anyway. She brought her knees up to her chest, put her arms on top of her knees, then rested her head on her arms. There was no room for any other position. But that was okay, she was tired anyway.

Damn a burger sounded good.

Why did she always get the shitty missions? Okay, the Blitz was accidental but since then the Alliance seemed to enjoy making her life hell.

“Like the N7 is even here anymore!” A voice complained making Shepard freeze. From this position, she had no clue where they were…or how many there were. “No it’s just me, Allers went back to base.” _Her chances just got a hell of a lot better._ “Yeah, let me refill my canteen and I’ll meet you.” Shepard held her breath as an arm reached down next to her. If the male so much as glanced under the rock he was laying on he’d see her. “Vasquez thinks N7’s are half robot, don’t listen to him.”

His eyes met hers, his widening as he opened his mouth. The burst of adrenaline and the small blade in her gauntlet was all she had for a quiet kill.

“It’s true…” he gurgled as blood poured from the wound in his neck. Shepard quickly unfolded from the tiny hiding spot before shoving his body off the edge of the pond where the waterfall ate the rock away. The blood around her knees quickly followed. Making sure nothing was left behind by the man she rinsed her blade and slid it back in its sheath. Then she was folding herself back up into her hiding spot.

\--

It had been six hours since she’d curled back up in the water. And twenty minutes since her suit ran out of battery power. There was nothing she could do but shiver as the cool water chilled her armor. And her. She had approximately thirty seven minutes before the water temperature was cold enough to make her hypothermic. If the information on the planet had been right. Nothing else had been.

At least hypothermia was pretty quick and painless. Cold yes, but she would go numb before she felt too much pain. Then she’d lose consciousness and die. Definitely better than being caught and tortured by the groups that kept walking through the cave.

Twenty minutes pass and she began shivering violently. Being squeezed in was the only thing keeping her armor from clanking against the rock and giving her position away.

Intel had been wrong about the planet too. If she died she was going to haunt the motherfuckers that gathered the information.

Staying in the water was a risk. Getting out and being unable to defend herself was a higher risk.

Another ten minutes pass and her toes began to go numb.

She would die though it’d be pretty funny if those mercs drank the water where her corpse was rotting. She hoped she got to see their expressions. _Ha!_ That would definitely make dying here worth it. _Bastards._

It should be okay to close her eyes for a bit, right? She wasn’t going anywhere. A nap was all she needed. _Yeah, just a little nap_ , she decided.


	5. Chapter 5

An odd buzz jerked her awake. There weren’t any wasps here were there? Those things were nasty creatures.

It was dark in the cave. The only light seemed to be the twin moons shimmering off of the waterfall. With a bouncing spherical light. This place was weird.

A loud noise bounced around inside the cave making her squeeze her eyes shut in hopes it would lessen the migraine thumping harshly inside of her head.

“Shepard?” A voice called quietly. “Come on, Jane, where are you?”

She licked her cold, dry lips, her tongue unwilling to move when she opened her mouth. No sound emerged. The lights moved too quickly for her eyes to catch the glimpses of the people they lit up.

“Scan everything, her beacon says she’s here,” a man ordered. The voice sounded familiar, if only she could remember.

With all the strength she had left, she pulled her arm out from under her head and let it splash into the water. But all it did was make cold water splash her face. She gasped and sputtered as she tried to lift her head up those precious few inches that had kept her dry.

“There! Grab her!”

They had a hard time getting her. More water entered her mask and slid down her neck into her armor. It would likely freeze to her skin.

There was movement and swaying once they had her in what she assumed was a boat. But it didn’t matter. She’d been in the icy water too long. There were familiar voices but she couldn’t tell them apart. A light in her eyes. Fingers pushing something in her nose. The last thing she noticed was the heat and the HUD rebooting.

With a sigh of relief, she closed her eyes and accepted death. Especially since it was so wonderfully warm.

\--

“What she needs is a break, you do nothing but send her all over the galaxy!” Hannah complained.

 _Of course that would be what woke her up._ Her mother was petting her head like a puppy when she wasn’t yelling at her superior. “I’m fine, Mom,” Shepard said roughly. “It’s my job.”

“I don’t care! One after another, after another. You need time to cool down in between!”

“Commander, how are you feeling?”

“I’ll be ready to go in a few days, Kahoku,” she said as she eased into sitting position. “A week tops.”

“Jane!” Hannah cried.

“Mom!” Shepard replied. _Ah damn it_ , she made her mom cry. “Fine, I request a two week vacation to heal, Admiral.”

“Granted.”

“Thank you, dear,” Hannah said quietly.

“You’re welcome. Now will you please hand me my clothes, there’s a burger calling my name,” Shepard said as she threw back the blankets.

“I’ll have to go buy you some. We’re on Arcturus.”

Shepard groaned. Of course they were. Better medical facilities. _Blah, blah, blah._

“I think Admiral Hackett is already taking care of that, Captain,” the doctor said as she opened her scanner. “Now Shepard, you had some burning around your port but thankfully there’s no permanent damage. There’s a dampener in place and it needs to remain for two weeks at minimum.”

“Anything else?” Shepard asked impatiently.

“Light exercise for the next week as your body recuperates from hypothermia. Other than that everything else is great.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

The gorgeous Admiral Hackett, in full uniform, entered the room making its occupants stand a little straighter. Except her. Damn it if he wasn’t the most delicious thing she’d seen in a few months. “Everything good, Karin?”

“Yes, I’ve already gone over everything with the Commander and she is free to dress.”

Hackett nodded before he stepped near her and dropped some Alliance lounge wear on the bed next to her. She pulled the hospital gown off immediately. The quicker she was dressed, the quicker she could eat.

“Jane! Have some manners!” Hannah said, her cheeks blushing as she turned her back.

“Special Forces don’t have the luxury of being discreet in the changing room, Mom. Everyone has seen me naked at one time or another. Nobody cares.” Hackett was looking at the ground trying not to smile as the other men turned their backs out of courtesy. The doctor, Karin, wasn’t even paying attention, her pretty nose buried in her terminal. “Dad,” she said sweetly, earning her a heated glare. “Since you’re not as delicate as these flowers would you mind helping slip these sweats over my knees.”

“Dear God, Jane,” her mother gasped. “I’m not delicate!”

“Mom, you pushed me out of your vagina. Surely seeing my boobs isn’t that big of a deal,” Shepard said dryly as Hackett looked over his shoulder before pulling the sweats up, his fingers grazing her skin.

“Stand up, grip my shoulders if you need to,” he ordered professionally, his breath heating her hip with each exhale.

“I know, Jane,” Hannah said with a sigh as Hackett slowly slid his hands up the back of her thighs and cupped her ass. _This was so deliciously wrong_. “I just…was raised a little different.”

“The only difference is you chose a different, less naked, career path. And there’s nothing wrong with that,” Shepard told her as soon as Hackett removed his hands. “You were trained to be an officer. I was trained to kill.”

“And you’re still the sweetest girl regardless of your profession,” Hannah whispered.

“I’m dressed. Can we go? I want to get to Vegas.”

“Whatever for?”

“One of Frank’s burgers of course,” Shepard answered.

“You choose your vacation spot based on food?” Hannah asked before shaking her head. “Of course you do, you take after your father where food is concerned.”

“What can I say, Mom? I let my stomach lead the way!”

Shepard let Hannah hug and pet her as they made their way through the halls of Arcturus before the older woman was sure that Jane was just fine. Then she was back to her ship and on her next mission.

As soon as Hannah left, she was using Anderson as support as they continued on to the cafeteria.

The cafeteria itself was in the middle of the lunch rush. David sat her down at a table she assumed was the brass’s normal spot since others steered clear of it. At least until the Captain and two Admiral’s were seated with their trays of food, and one for her. Steven sat next to her, David and Kahoku on the other side of the table. It wasn’t long until she was squished in between some unknown soldier and Hackett.

The food…was awful. How these people ate it she didn’t know. She swallowed down what she could before pushing her tray away. She was sitting in a sea of black and blue, without a bra or panties on of all things. Once again, it wasn’t what she preferred. Hackett must have known something was off since he pressed his thigh firmly against hers. Maybe to help ground her? It didn’t matter, it wasn’t like she could book it out of here.

“Shepard?” Anderson said, his brow raised in a way that said it wasn’t the first time he’d said it.

“Yeah?”

“I asked if you would be okay staying with Hackett until the paperwork clears. You can take a transport from here to Earth.”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” she answered tiredly.

“Food not up to your standards?” Hackett asked nodding to her plate.

“Hell no.”

Her superiors said their farewells with promises to send her bag their way as Hackett cleared their trays. “Come on, can you walk?”

“Maybe,” she said as she slowly stood before groaning. Damn muscles.

“Vega,” Hackett called while waving the soldier over. “Help the Commander onto my back.”

“Seriously? A piggy back ride?” She said as her cheeks darkened. “This is embarrassing. I’m an N7!”

“Never too old to get a piggy back ride from your dad, Shepard,” Hackett whispered, his eyes twinkling mischievously when a few heads whipped their way.

“Oh my God,” she said under her breath in mortification as she waited for the giant human named Vega to lift her. “I really dislike you right now,” she told Hackett. He ignored her.

“Good?” He asked as she wrapped her arms and her legs around him.

“Let’s just get this over with and hope my reputation remains intact,” she grumbled.

They received a few humored looks while she did her best to ignore them. It wasn’t too difficult. Especially with his aftershave tickling her nose.

“Jane,” he said in warning when she buried her nose in the collar of his uniform.

“You smell so good,” she whispered against his ear. “Daddy.” His body tensed under her making her smile. This was a very dangerous game they played. But she couldn’t get enough of him. There was only silence when they entered the elevator. With security cameras all over the place, there was little she could do but whisper in his ear. “Set me down,” Shepard said as the cool air drifted up her shirt. Her fucking pants were sliding down.

“Why?” He asked but he was already squatting.

“These are a few sizes too big. Didn’t know my size?” She asked him as she fixed the pants and tied the string tight.

“They’re mine,” he replied.

“Oh,” she said with a smile. “Well, they’re mine now.”

“I guess I’d rather lose these than my jacket,” he mumbled.

“You could just get me my own jacket,” she told him with a wink just as the elevator doors opened. “How far?”

“Far enough that I don’t want to spend the rest of my work day waiting on you walking,” he told her before scooping her up bridal style and exiting the elevator.

“Far less embarrassing than a piggy back ride.”

“Harder on my back,” he replied.

“You going back to work?”

“Yes, as soon as your bag is delivered,” he answered before stopping and carefully putting her down. “Let me program you into the locks.”

That was disappointing but expected. Shepard was sure his workload was insane. When they were in the door, he placed his hand on her back and guided her through the front room and down a short hall. The room he gently pushed her into smelled just like the man she craved.

“This is your room.”

“Yes,” he replied quietly.

She turned and laced her fingers behind his neck. “Where’s my room, Daddy?”

“You are a vixen,” he growled as he carefully walked her backwards. “Calling me dad in front of a room full of people knowing it makes my dick hard.” A sigh left her mouth when his hands gripped her hips. “Making me dress you when I wanted nothing more than to bend you over and fuck you.”

“I need you,” she whispered.

“I don’t have time to worship you, little girl,” he told her.

“Then just fuck me,” she told him, her hands moving to quickly release the clasps on his uniform jacket. “Bend me over, Daddy,” she whispered.

Steven’s moan told her she’d won. He quickly shed his jacket before turning her and shoving her down onto the bed. He quickly moved her sweatpants down over her hips, the soft material not making a sound as it fell to the floor. “Knee’s on the bed, Jane.”

Being on her hands and knees wasn’t a position she let most men take her in, simply because of her port. But Steven was different. He wasn’t leery of her biotics like most people. In fact, he seemed to enjoy making them light her body in blue-ish purple during sex.

The pressing of his cock against her entrance brought her firmly back into the present. He was insanely careful as he slowly hilted himself before pulling the top half of her body up to him. She sighed as his fingers ghosted her stomach under the oversized shirt.

“Tell me what you need,” he whispered.

“You,” she replied immediately, the jerk of his hips making her whimper. “Just you.”

He thrust hard into her, her moans of pleasure pulling growls from the man. “I won’t last,” he whispered roughly.

“Fill me,” she begged. He shuddered against her, his arms anchoring her hips to him as he thrust hard into her. True to his word, he didn’t last.

“Damn it, Jane,” Steven whispered as he held himself inside of her. “You need rest, not sex.”

“You did all the work,” she told him with a sweet smile.

“And I didn’t last,” he complained.

“You’re not supposed to last during quickies, Steven,” she said with a sigh as he pulled out and kissed her neck.

“Lay down and get some sleep. I’ll bring home dinner then run you a bath in a few hours.”

She watched him pull his uniform on with practiced ease. He said nothing when the door pinged. That would be her bag. She took advantage of the moment to look around the room. It was messier than she expected it to be, especially since his place outside of Vegas was so neat. Then there was a holo frame on the nightstand, but before she could activate it and be nosy, the man reappeared with her duffel bag in hand.

“Do you need anything before I go?”

“A kiss,” she replied. While she wanted to make out like teenagers, she understood why he only left her with a soft, chaste kiss on her lips.

“I’ll be back soon.”

As soon as she heard the door swish closed, she grabbed the holo frame and activated it. She flipped through the holos. His bike, Vegas, Mexico, and several other places she didn’t recognize. Probably places he’d been. And a holo of her back in a cotton dress. Naughty man. She paused the frame on her holo before placing it back on the nightstand and stripping off her shirt.

It wouldn’t be wise to have a holo of her face and bared body on his nightstand. Instead, she lay on her side and hugged a pillow against her breasts. Jane activated her omnitool camera, switching to selfie mode before making sure her hair wasn’t visible.

Making sure the holo he took of her was able to be seen behind her, she snapped the picture. She quickly uploaded the holo to the frame before deleting it off her omnitool. All that was left was making sure it appeared before the holo he took of her.

If she had more energy, she’d go around and spam all of his holo frames with pictures of her body. But, she’d settle for this one. With the mission complete, she called for lights out and snuggled down into Steven’s pillow.


	6. Chapter 6

A shiver woke her before she registered that a finger was near her port. She stiffened involuntarily.

“It’s just me,” a familiar voice whispered, his lips leaving a dry kiss on her neck. “Just checking the burns.” She said nothing as she let him roll her onto her back and pull her into sitting position. At least until the scent of food hit her.

“What’s for dinner?”

“I stopped by the Italian place and got us spaghetti with garlic bread with a biotic protein shake added to yours.”

“Sounds good,” she said as she scooted back against the pillow he placed behind her.

“I’ll run you a hot bath after,” he told her as he placed a tray on her lap before he disappeared.

A hot bath sounded really freaking good to her aching muscles. But as the food was set on her tray, her stomach made it known that carbs had to come first. She ate like she was starving, not bothering whether or not he found the whole scene unsavory. And the bread, spirits, it was amazing. She had the double serving down in less than five minutes. At least she assumed it was a double order since Hackett’s was smaller.

“Do you want dessert?” Steven asked as she pushed the tray away.

“Oh, I’ll have that later, Daddy,” she told him with a smirk.

“You’re horrible, Jane,” he lied, his eyes filled with need as he scanned her bare chest.

Maybe she was horrible. Hell, maybe calling him daddy wasn’t the best idea considering. But her body responded to him easily, even before it was known that he was her second dad. Fucking other men didn’t get him out of her system. It only left her frustrated. Wanting a man twice her age was one thing. Wanting her godfather? Probably horrible. But damn it if it didn’t make her wet.

“Ready for your bath?” he asked her as he dropped his container on her tray.

“I don’t need to be waited on, I can do it,” she replied as she stiffly stood from the bed. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she hissed. She didn’t remember getting hit hard enough to cause bruising. They were nearly black, the outside already yellowing. “How long from when I was found?”

“Three days,” he replied quietly.

“I was unconscious for three days?” She asked surprised.

“Yes,” he answered as he guided her into the master bath. “Do you want bubbles?”

She snorted, “Seriously? I’ll pass. Just a quick soak.” The tub looked like something out of a honeymoon suite. Admiral’s got all the good stuff. She sat on the edge of the cold tub while he filled it with steaming water. Once it was about half filled he helped her in, the cool air and hot water making her nipples harden.

“Too hot?” He asked softly.

“Perfect,” she answered with a sigh as she slowly laid back.

“I’ll take care of our dinner stuff and come help you wash,” he said as he turned the water off and dried his hands.

Three damn days? From hypothermia? Oh and overuse of biotics. Likely overexerted muscles. Did she just sleep that long or did they knock her out? It really didn’t matter she supposed. What’s done is done.

Just when she was about to let herself sink under the wonderfully warm water, her omnitool pinged with an incoming call. She opened it quickly seeing Alenko’s name requesting a video chat. Denied. Instead she just answered with voice.

“Yes?”

[Uh, is your omnitool broke? I’m not getting video.]

“No, I denied the video.”

[Oh. Why?]

“Because I’m naked.”

[Oh, um. Sorry.]

She could hear him blushing. She rolled her eyes. “What did you need, L-T?”

[I was just calling to see how you were doing. We were worried.]

“I’m doing fine, about to enjoy some medical leave and then I’ll be back to work.”

[Ok, take it easy, Shepard.]

“You too,” she replied before ending the call.

Jane said nothing as Hackett reentered the bathroom wearing only his boxers and carrying what appeared to be women’s hygiene products. That surprised her.

“Aww, Honey, you shopped!”

“Wet your hair,” he ordered as he knelt next to the tub. “Important call?”

She snorted before letting herself slip beneath the surface long enough to do what she was told. “Not really,” she answered as soon as she wiped the rivulets of water from her face.

“Do you always do video calls?” He asked, his voice tight.

“Steven?” she questioned as he began to roughly massage the shampoo into her hair causing her to hiss.

“Sorry,” he said after releasing a huff of air.

“Are you jealous?” She asked him gently but he continued to concentrate on his task. “Look at me, please.”

“Rinse,” he ordered gruffly.

With a sigh she dipped her head below the water and did her best to wash away the shampoo before sitting back up. The man said nothing as he applied conditioner to her hair. She stayed silent while he washed her body. There were no soft touches or grazes. It was unsettling and hurt her feelings as she thought about it.

Once he helped her from the tub and wrapped a towel around her, he escorted her back to bed. “I’ve got work to do, get some rest.”

She’d done nothing but rest. That didn’t mean she wasn’t tired but now she was kind of pissed. Getting jealous over a platonic call? For fuck’s sake.

\--

When her leave orders came through during the night, she dressed and packed. The apartment was quiet. Pausing outside the office, she saw Steven asleep on the couch. Swallowing down the hurt, she left.

Instead of Vegas, she booked a transport to the Citadel. She knew she would be wanting to see his bike outside of her favorite burger joint.

It didn’t take long for her transport to arrive, but she was worn out. She quickly made her way to a decent hotel and booked her a room for the next two weeks.

It wasn’t very luxurious, but the bedding was clean. It was good enough.

Boots clunked to the floor before she turned the air down and crawled into the stiff bed fully clothed. Her night would be spent dreaming of warm hands and ice cold water.


	7. Chapter 7

The first couple days on the Citadel were spent catching up on shows she’d missed and on eating. The third day she came across an ad offering lessons on sniping. No sniper rifle needed. She quickly called up the omnicode provided.

[Vakarian] a turian answered.

“Name’s Shepard. I’m interested in your lessons.”

[Really? I’ve had that notice up for a Citadel month and you’re the first to respond.]

“Yes, really. I’m on medical leave so I have to be picky. It just so happens I need some work. I don’t have my gear though,” she told him.

[Meet me at the C-Sec headquarters civilian entrance at sixteen hundred.]

“See you then,” she replied before she hung up. That left about four hours with nothing to do. Might as well stop by the asari-run clinic to get her port checked.

-

“How can I help you?”

“I need my port checked, please,” Shepard told the receptionist. She waited while the woman pulled up her credentials to verify she was a biotic. The port should’ve been enough.

“What’s the problem?”

“I overdid it and need to make sure it’s healing properly.”

The waiting room was pretty empty. Thankfully. She’d just got sat down when the nurse called her. “Commander Shepard?”

Jane stood still while she was scanned for height and weight while answering the questions the asari fired off. They were efficient, she’d give them that.

“Now it says here that you overused your biotics causing your amp to fry?”

“Yes.”

“What type of power did you use?” The nurse asked.

“Electrical dome,” Shepard answered.

“Goddess,” the nurse whispered. “That’s a difficult power to use. Very few matriarch’s have mastered it.”

“So they say,” Jane replied.

“Let me talk with our doctors. You may actually need an upgrade and we can schedule that as soon as possible.”

_Hell yeah_. “Sounds good, Ma’am.” She knew damn well that if her biotics could be upgraded that the Alliance would gladly fork over the credits for it. Especially since she seemed to be their favorite.

Within half an hour she had three doctors behind her taking readings and scans of her port as well as checking the burns. Shepard didn’t know what the hell they were saying but they seemed very excited about it. The nurse waited patiently with the medical chart open as the doctors discussed their findings.

“What does the N7 designation stand for on your Alliance profile? I’ve never seen it before.”

The sudden silence behind her was surprising. “It’s the highest rank one can achieve in the Special Forces,” Shepard answered only for the doctors to talk even more excitedly.

It went on for quite a while before the trio decided to confer with the Alliance biotic specialists to make sure the upgrade wouldn’t damage her nervous system because it would require a complete overhaul.

“How you haven’t hurt yourself more, I have no idea!” one doctor said. “There is so much biotic power in you. Your self-control must be impeccable!”

Who knew a quick visit would turn into three doctors so excited to cut her open.

By the time she was able to free herself from the clinic, she had just enough time to eat before her scheduled sniper lesson.

\--

“You’re really bad at this,” her turian instructor rumbled in frustration.

“I’m a biotic so…”

“So mid to short range. Why do you want to learn long range?”

“Never know when I might need it. You gonna be a cry baby or teach me the basics today?” She asked him with a smirk.

“Fledgling course it is.”

The poor turian spent the next few hours trying to drill in a more patient way to fight. It wasn’t easy. They made plans for the following day, her surgery pending, before saying their goodbyes.

On her way back to the hotel, she was stopped by a reporter. Westerland something or other. Gossip news station.

“Commander Shepard, can you tell our viewers what you do on shore leave?”

“Have sex,” she answered dryly.

The reporter sighed. “What happened at Torfan?”

“Classified.”

“Give me something here! How does it feel to be hailed the Hero of the Blitz only to be called a Butcher a year later?” the reporter asked as she tried to keep up with Shepard’s pace.

“Super.”

“Commander, please!” Jilana called.

Shepard halted and did a one-eighty so quick the reporter ran into her with a ‘hmpf’. “Yes?” Shepard asked coolly.

“Rumor has it you’re on medical leave, can you tell us anything about the mission?”

“The water was cold,” Shepard deadpanned. With another about-face, she continued on to her hotel. The reporter, thankfully, didn’t follow.

She barely made it into the lobby when her omnitool pinged with an incoming vid call from Ash.

“Shepard,” she answered.

[Did you know that interview was live?!] Ashley said before she burst into laughter. [Watching her try to keep up with you before you stopped…] More laughter. [Then she ran right into you and almost fell and you didn’t even budge an inch!]

“I’m glad I could brighten your day, Ash,” Jane replied with a chuckle.

[Her eyes got so huge when you said sex! Oh it was great.]

“What’re you doing watching the gossip news anyway?”

[I was bored. They always have funny stuff. Anyway, you doing okay?]

“Better every day, Ash,” Shepard replied with a warm smile. She really adored that girl.

[Good, I’ll talk to you later.]

She ended up having half a dozen calls before she could even unlace her boots. By the time she hung up with her mother, there was a knock on her door.

“For fuck’s sake, let me rest,” she complained under her breath. “Yes?”

“Ma’am your room has been upgraded to a suite. If you’ll gather your things I’ll escort you,” a salarian employee said.

“By who?”

“Second father,” he answered.

Of course. It had been maybe an hour and a half since the reporter. Plenty of time to hunt her down. Then there was the doctor’s too. Damn, she didn’t think about that.

Inside of ten minutes the bellhop had her in her new room. “A meal has been ordered for you and will be up as soon as it’s finished.”

“Thank you,” Shepard answered.

The meal turned out to be spaghetti and garlic bread, and a cheeseburger and fries. This had Hackett’s sexy fingers all over it. Jealous and sleeping in a different room to making sure she was living in luxury. It made no sense to her.

She sat down to eat. The food wasn’t as good as Frank’s, but it wasn’t as bad as the Arcturus cafeteria. Once she had her fill of the spaghetti, she had just begun nibbling on fries her omnitool pinged with another incoming call.

“Shepard,” she answered automatically.

[Commander, this is Dr. T’Pori. We’ve consulted the Alliance and they’re flying in one of their doctors to oversee the surgery. The doctor will arrive tomorrow and we can do the surgery the following morning if that fits with your schedule.]

“It works for me. Message me the details please.”

[Of course, right away. We’ll see you soon.]

Of course the Alliance would send a doctor. Wrapping up her leftovers, she stuck them in the fridge and headed to shower. With the surgery going to keep her down for a few weeks, she needed to make sure everything else was done. _After_ she studied the specs for this new toy they were going to stick in her. She was definitely excited.


	8. Chapter 8

The surgery went as well as planned, thankfully. She had a new port and numerous new nodes throughout her body. Her mother was currently crying silently as the doctor scanned her body and checked the surgical sights.

“Mom, I’m fine, really.”

“I just don’t like seeing you in a hospital bed, Jane,” her mother whispered.

“No mother does,” Dr. T’Pori said. “But I can assure you she is in excellent health. Dr. Chakwas was very pleased with the surgery.”

“Instead of worrying over me, why don’t you go out and find you a beautiful woman to woo,” Jane told her gently. When her mom rolled her eyes, Jane pushed. “What? You’re beautiful, Mom.”

“Now stop,” her mom muttered as her cheeks turned red.

“Because the port is smaller than your previous one, we had to clone skin. It seems to be healing nicely but you’ll have to stay the night so we can monitor it.” When Shepard groaned the doctor laughed. “Unless you can find someone to be your nurse maid.”

“Wait, how did you clone skin so quickly?” Shepard asked.

“It’s mostly synthetic, but as it heals it will adapt to your skin. With the synthetic fingers in it, it will be a little more thick but it will do the job twice as well,” T’Pori answered.

“Works for me,” Jane replied.

“I’ll play nursemaid tonight if you go over what I need to look for,” Hannah said. Jane gave her a grateful smile.

Nothing was more fun than using the hoverchair to run from her mother. That was until she saw Ms. Westerland news parked out front of her hotel building.

“Gods, Jane, what the hell?!”

“Get on my lap, Mom. No questions,” Jane said, her tone hard. _Did it hurt? Yes. Did it matter? No_. “Keep your battle face on no matter what,” Jane whispered as she gunned the little hoverchair. These suckers were fast, but with two people it wasn’t as fast as she’d like.

“Commander? The people want to know why you were in the hospital.” Westerland yelled, her camera hovering behind her.

“Mom, record,” Jane said thinking of Ash. Just in case the gunnery chief missed this.

The gossip reporter gave her a glare and planted her feet in front of the hotel entryway. No matter, Shepard wasn’t slowing down. The reporters eyes got bigger and bigger the closer Shepard got. Just when Shepard thought she was going to mow down the reporter on live vids, Westerland squawked and jumped out of the way.

“Classified!” Shepard yelled behind her as she slowed the chair down. Turning her attention to the big eyed salarian, “Have that reporter removed or I find another hotel to recuperate in.”

“Yes, Commander!” The salarian said as he pressed a few buttons on his terminal.

Once they were safely tucked in the elevator, her mother carefully stood. “Send that to me, please,” Shepard said.

“Was that entirely necessary?”

“You can look her up while you’re babysitting me and tell me after,” Jane told her.

“I’ve already been by your room and my, what a beautiful suite! Even the second bedroom has a private bath. How can you afford it?”

“Daddy’s favorite goddaughter, I guess,” Jane replied dryly.

“I’m so glad you two are getting on so well. It is such a relief.” _Oh you have no idea just how well we were getting on…_ “That reminds me, Hackett sent a care package with Karin when she requested to be here for your surgery. That’s so sweet.”

Captain Hannah Jones, amazingly intelligent mom. Gorgeous, warm hearted, and completely clueless.

Some days Jane really felt awful for her. But then, her mom always saw the good. Everywhere. That wasn’t something Jane, a realist, wanted to take from her. The universe was dark and scary. There was no need for her mom to see that.

“Your doctor asked me out on a date but I’m not sure that’s professional,” Hannah was saying as they entered the suite.

“Wait, what? When?”

“This evening. She said no more than a few hours away from you would be fine, I just…”

“Mother, if you don’t accept that woman’s offer I’m going to smack some sense into you,” Jane threatened.

“Jane! It’s unprofessional, she’s your doctor.”

“Mom,” _Holy shit this was exhausting some days_. “She’s _my_ doctor, not yours. Send her a message and accept.”

“If you’re sure…”

“Absolutely,” Jane answered as she drove herself to her room to give her mother some privacy to hyperventilate before sending the message. How Hannah managed to have sex at all was a wonder at this point.

Once she was in her room there were two immediate concerns. She had to pee. And she was hungry. Too bad she couldn’t biotically carry herself to the toilet. Peeing her pants was starting to sound nice. _Son of a_ … “Mom, send the fucking message already! I need to pee!”

“Good grief child I’m right behind you,” Hannah complained.

It was a little demeaning having to be helped to the toilet but she was forbidden to be up and about until the following day as her new bio-nodes merged with her body. Still better than a catheter.

When she was finally in bed her mom jabbed her in the neck with meds and left to get her meal. What she assumed was her care package lay all the way at the end of the bed.

“Admiral Hackett must adore you, he called the front desk and told them to prep our meals when they saw you come back.”

“What did dad get us?” Jane asked.

“It looks like he got you a fresh varren burger with fries and onion rings.” Hannah said as she read over the order. “I get spaghetti that I’ll just put in the fridge since I’m going out.”

“Yay!” Jane celebrated, genuinely happy for her mom.

“I don’t know, all I have is my uniform and she’s meeting me right after her shift so she won’t have time to change either…”

“Mom, it’s okay to love your work and another being,” Jane told her. “It’s okay if she loves her work and another being. In fact, it’s a perfect match.”

“You think?”

“She absolutely sparkles when she’s working, like you do running your ship. You never know, it could be a match made in the stars.”

Hannah sighed dreamily. “You are such a romantic.”

“Now do whatever you have to do to check me over, hand me that box, and go freshen up for your date,” Jane ordered softly.

While she really wanted to know what Hackett had sent in the crate, her stomach was demanding she eat. Besides, she wanted to see what Steven had sent without her mom over her shoulder. Had to be careful.

The varren burger wasn’t as good as Frank’s but it was definitely ten times better than the last one Hackett had ordered for her. Fresh meat made a difference.

“Good grief, wipe your face off on a napkin not your shirt,” Hannah said as she walked back in. With a sigh the woman brought up her checklist and began the assessment all while talking to herself.

It took about ten minutes to get through all the scans and poking but Hannah seemed satisfied.

“I’m off, dear. Call me if you need me.”

“I’m just going to sleep, but if your date progresses into the bedroom, please be sure to activate the sound proofing.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” her mother mocked before kissing her brow and leaving.

Jane quickly finished off her food before tossing the container to the end of the bed. Using her black shirt as a napkin, she carefully pulled it off and tossed it to the floor with the rest of her dirty clothes.

The second the crate registered her biometrics, it clicked open and she was hit with Steven’s scent. Only taking a moment to enjoy it, she lifted the lid only to snort. His loungewear she had said was hers now lay neatly folded. Damn man. Lifting the shirt out, she held it to her face and inhaled. He’d definitely put his aftershave on it for her. With a sigh she mentally admitted to missing him.

The next thing to catch her attention was the small flask shaped bottle of ryncol. _Mmm, mmm, mmm, man of her wet dreams smuggling her alcohol._

Laying back in the bed, she flicked on the datapad that had been stuck between the shirt and sweats.

_[Dear Goddess,_

_I am a complete and total idiot. Please forgive me for my childish behavior that caused you to depart early without letting me kiss you goodbye. I’m truly sorry for how I acted._

_Yours, the regretful peasant_

_P.S. Please, please accept my heartfelt apology along with this: Attachment]_

 

Clicking the attachment brought up a holo. One that made her jaw drop before she burst into laughter.

Admiral Steven Hackett had found the holo she’d snuck into his frame, and added to it. _”I can do it too_ was scribbled above his half hidden body. Her holo in the background. Damn that man. Oh and look, he forgot to erase his personal omnitool code from the holo.

As carefully as she could, she pushed her panties down and lay the small flask over her pubic bone, then snapped a holo.

Quickly making up an account that couldn’t be traced, _thank you Kasumi_ , she put Steven’s omnicode in.

\--  
 _Allison Gunn: Hey sexy_  
Steven Hackett: I’m pretty sure you have the wrong address, Ms. Gunn.  
AG: I don’t.  
SH: Since I’ve never heard of you, I’m sure you do.  
AG: Maybe it’s fate.  
SH: I’m unavailable.  
AG: Already got a pretty thing writhing under you?  
SH: Yes.  
AG: Wouldn’t you like two?  
SH: No.  
AG: Well aren’t you a party pooper. I heard you liked taking pretty women for a ride.  
SH: Who is this really?  
AG: Attachment  
Last reply: 3 minutes  
SH: Damn it girl.  
AG: Hi, Daddy. Miss me?  
SH: You know I do.  
AG Are you still unavailable?  
SH: I’m always available for you.  
AG: My nurse needs to leave tomorrow and I’m in need of a nursemaid.  
SH: Let me see you.  
AG: I don’t do vid chats when I’m naked, which you would know if you talked to me.  
SH: Please  
Activating video call, please be patient while your call is connected…  
\--

[You’re still beautiful, even with your hair like that,] he teased.

“Are you coming?”

[Only if you are.]

Jane snorted, “No I can’t. I’m not allowed to move much until tomorrow.”

[Where’s your mother?]

“On a hot date,” she replied as she studied his face on her vidcomm screen. He had dark circles under his eyes. “Did I wake you?”

[I was already awake going over the reports on your surgery.]

“You aren’t sleeping,” she commented when he didn’t look back up.

[I miss you and I was a jerk.]

“Yes you were. Can you be here tomorrow because I miss you, too.”

[I’ll be there soon. Get some rest, okay?]

“Have plans to worship me, Daddy?”

[Hell yes I do. Go to sleep, I’ll be there before you wake.]

\--

How was she supposed to sleep now? She could just throw his shirt over her pillow, but then her mom would probably ask questions. She’d just put it on. If her mom said anything, it was easy to say she’d just left it at Hackett’s when she was waiting for her orders. And her mom would believe it.

Placing everything but the shirt back into the case, she locked it back and slid it over. She really didn’t like sleeping with clothes on but her mom would probably faint so, she pulled her panties back up. All that was left was getting comfortable. Too bad that was easier said than done when everything hurt.

With a sigh she pulled up her omnitool.

_Jane: Mom when can I take more pain meds?_  
J: And please apologize to the doctor for my interrupting your date.  
Hannah: the doctor said if the pain was still bothering you, you can take one more dose. It’s on the nightstand.  
J: Thanks <3 

It was exactly where Hannah said it was. Jane injected the meds into her neck before taking a sip of water and laying down. All she had to do was wait for it to take her pain so her body would relax enough to rest.


	9. Chapter 9

Cold fingers prodder her incisions. “Quit,” she whined as she opened her eyes.

“It’s just me, Commander,” Dr. T’Pori said. “I’m checking to see how they’re closing.”

“My port?”

“It’s looking fantastic, better than I hoped,” the doctor answered.

“My mom?”

“She’s taking a shower.”

“I need to use the bathroom,” Shepard told her.

“I have no sense of smell, so if it doesn’t bother you we’ll do a quick check while you’re in there.”

“Okay.” Once the doctor helped her to the toilet, she closed the door and began asking questions like Shepard wasn’t peeing at all.

“Do orgasms activate your biotics?”

“Yes, when can I start having them again?” Shepard asked. _Please don’t say more than a week, I’ll die!_

“The scan showed your nodes have been accepted so I think anytime, just keep the sex kind of lazy for a few weeks so as not to aggravate the incisions. They were pretty deep,” the doctor answered. “And keep your dampener in until the Alliance clears you.”

“Walking?”

“Take it easy for a few more days. For now, back and forth to the restroom is all the exertion I want from you. Just enough to keep your muscles from going into atrophy.” The doctor made a few notes on her omnitool as Shepard stood and pulled her panties up before they made the slow walk back to the bed.

She was close to sweating when she finally got to sit on the bed.

“How is she doing, Janna?” Hannah asked as she breezed into the room.

“She’s doing great, everything is healing quicker than anticipated.”

“Oh, that’s wonderful!” Hannah said, her next sentence cut off by the door pinging. “I’ll get that.”

“Hey, Doc,” Jane whispered. “Please be careful with my mother’s heart. I’d hate to have to kick your ass after all you’ve done for me.”

The doctor laughed softly, “Child, my daughter told your mother the same thing.”

“I’m sure that’s my mother’s relief at the door, so sweep her off her feet before the Alliance sends her back to work,” Jane said as she accepted more pain vials from the doctor.

“Don’t mind if I do!”

“Janna, this is Jane’s second dad, Steven.” Jane watched with silent glee as introductions were made.

“These are her updated care instructions,” the doctor said as she handed off a datapad. “She has some pain injections on the table. If anything arises just ping me.”

Once the women left, Steven dropped his bag on the floor and sat on the edge of the bed next to her before he started reading through the instructions. He looked absolutely worn out.

While she desperately wanted to toss the datapad aside, she knew he wanted to make sure all was well with her.

“Did she just check you?”

“Yes,” she answered.

“And?” He asked tiredly.

“You can fuck me so long as it’s gentle. I can have orgasms. Everything is healing faster than they expected,” she told him as she tugged on his uniform jacket. “Come here and greet me properly.”

“Does this mean you accept my apology?” He asked her as he placed the datapad on the nightstand.

“Are you going to get jealous every time I get a vid call?”

“Maybe,” he told her.

“Hmm,” she replied watching as he stripped. “I suppose I can handle you acting like a child if it means more ryncol and care packages.”

“You don’t get care packages?”

“That was my first,” she answered.

“I see you took full advantage of the clothing,” he told her quietly as he moved the crate off the bed and slid in. “But you won’t need it much longer…”

“So long as you redress me after.”

His touches were tender and gentle but his kiss portrayed his need. He left her in a whimpering mess before he carefully hilted himself inside of her.

“Don’t deny me, not tonight,” she begged quietly.

“Touch yourself for me, sweetheart,” he whispered against her lips before holding his weight off of her sore body. “Let me see you come undone.”

It didn’t take much for the familiar coil in her core. It never did with Steven buried inside of her. “Almost,” she whimpered. Digging her blunt nails into his arm, she begged, “Daddy, please.” His hips jerked harder into her, so so close. “Just like that,” she told him.

“Come for me,” he demanded huskily. A sob left her as she desperately tried to push herself over the edge.

“It won’t,” she cried. “I can’t…”

His hips slowed as he moved his weight to his forearms. “Tell me what you need,” he whispered against her ear. “Daddy will give you anything, baby girl.” He rolled his hips into hers. “A bike? My leather jacket? My seed…” She’d thought she’d hid that desire to be filled with cum so well. “Do you like calling me ‘daddy’, Jane?”

“Gods, yes,” she answered, his lips nipping at her ear pulling a surprised gasp from her.

“Do you like my cock inside of you?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“The moment I saw you walk into that bar I had to have you. I wanted nothing more than to bury my face between your gorgeous legs while you screamed for me.” She moaned at the image. “But I couldn’t wait, I had to have you,” he told her before biting her earlobe harder, her nipple squeezed between his fingers. She arched into him and cried out.

“Daddy,” she begged.

“I kept the panties, Jane,” Her whimpers ignored as his hips rolled steadily into hers. “Smell them when I miss you.” She shuddered underneath him. “Stroke my cock as I remember how you rode me on my bike.”

Her back arched off the bed as her body registered the pleasurable pain radiating from the side of her neck. Then she was crying out as the waves of euphoria washed over her. Different but the same even as her biotics were dampened. She held on to him as tight as she could while she felt like she was soaring. His moans muffled by her neck as his muscles convulsed under her hands.

Moving wasn’t an option for her. Not when her body was so tingly. She barely registered the sting in her neck and the bed shifting next to her.

“Rest, Jane,” Steven told her, his lips leaving moisture against her temple.

\--

Hushed voices pulled her from her warm slumber before a blurry blue figure came into her line of sight.

“Commander, I just came to check you,” a familiar voice said. Doctor T’Pori.

“Bathroom, please,” she muttered before remembering. “I’m naked I think.”

“Yes you are, as is your bedmate. Come, child, I can scan you once you’re done.”

She hissed as she sat up, Steven’s arm trying to pull her back to him as he grumbled in his sleep. He must have been thoroughly exhausted. “Mom is going to kill me if she finds out.”

“I happen to think it’s sweet,” the doctor whispered as she helped Jane stand. “I don’t know many people that would travel so far just to watch over another.”

“What time is it?” Jane asked as soon as she was safely on the toilet.

“About seven.”

“I’m starving.”

By the time she finished using the restroom, and endured being scanned and poked, Steven had already left the bed.

“Would you like help dressing?”

“If you’ll just hand me that case over there, I can put my clothes on myself. I need the movement,” Jane told her.

“Your scans look good. I’d recommend some light yoga to stretch your muscles for the next few days. They’ve been through a lot.”

Once the doctor left her in privacy, she opened the crate and grabbed the sweat pants before locking it back up. It took a few minutes, but she successfully dressed herself. Small victories. Now all she had to do was hobble to the kitchen for coffee.

\--

Not even halfway to the kitchen and her mother was up trying to help her. “I need the exercise, Mom,” Jane told her gently.

“Admiral Kahoku is giving you a week of paid leave added to your vacation because of the surgery. He’s rather excited to see the improvements.”

“Sweet, I might make it to Vegas for a burger after all.” Once she eased into the bar stool, Steven presented her with a steaming mug of coffee. “Be still my heart,” she muttered as she inhaled the aroma. “How I have missed thee.”

“Alenko stopped by while you were in the bathroom,” Hannah told her.

“Why?” It was too early to deal with that.

“To check on you of course,” Hannah said with a big grin. “Why don’t you give him a chance, dear?”

Shepard snorted, “I’ll pass, thanks.”

“Whatever for!?”

“I wasn’t interested a year ago, and I’m not interested now,” Jane replied before taking a sip of the coffee.

“Tell me, Jane,” Hannah said as she crossed her arms on the bar. “Why the hell are you sleeping with your godfather?”

Coffee was inhaled causing her to sputter and choke as panic seized her gut and Steven tried his best to aid her from dying of coffee in the lungs.


	10. Chapter 10

“Care to explain to me, Steven?” Hannah asked, her voice hard.

“Not really.”

“Should I leave?” Janna, the doctor, asked.

Jane shook her head no. No point really, the cat was out of the bag. “We,” she tried to speak only to cough more coffee up. Clearing her throat she tried again. “Sleeping together before we knew.”

“Knew what exactly?” Hannah asked.

“Rank and family ties,” Hackett answered as his hand rubbed Jane’s back.

“You are sleeping with your dead best friend’s daughter!” Hannah near screeched. “How the hell could you not have known?!”

“I’d only seen holos of her as a child, how was I supposed to know? She looks completely different!” Hackett returned with just as much heat.

“Are you okay, Doc?” Jane asked the wide eyed doctor.

“Oh, Goddess yes. I don’t get to watch my shows often but this is definitely just like my favorite soap opera!”

Hannah sighed and Jane burst into laughter. “No wonder I don’t like watching those, I’m in one!”

“Jane!”

“A little lower, Steven,” Jane said, ignoring her mother. “Oh yeah, that muscle right there.”

“Let’s just forget the fraternization for a moment and focus on the age difference,” Hannah started, her face portraying her anger when Jane snorted.

“Seriously, Mom?” Jane said pointing to Janna.

“It’s true, I’m about five hundred years older than you,” the good doctor said.

“You’re not helping,” Hannah groaned.

“You didn’t seem to mind the age difference last night, dear,” Janna purred.

“Oh for heaven’s sake,” Hannah muttered as she covered her red face with her hands.

“How was your date?” Jane asked Janna.

Janna smiled, “It was the most wonderful date I’ve ever been on. Your mother is amazing.”

“Yeah,” Jane agreed. “She really is.”

“I’m still angry!” Hannah said to Jane. Her glare didn’t stop Steven from lifting Jane and slipping into her seat before carefully setting her on his lap.

“Mom,” Jane said seriously as she reached across the bar to take her hand. “If you say anything about this to anyone, it will ruin our careers.” Hannah sighed. “I’m only good at killing bad guys, Mom. If I lose my job, I’ll have to start stripping again.”

“No,” her mom said. “You’re an amazing young woman, Jane.”

“That may be, but it doesn’t change the facts,” Jane told her. “My intelligence is average. I wasn’t deemed smart enough to be groomed as a captain. But I can fight. I’m damn good at that.”

“I really don’t want you in those seedy places with men grabbing at you,” Hannah told her quietly.

“Then this has to stay between us.”

“Fine,” Hannah replied with a sigh. “Do you love each other?”

“Why does that matter? This is all we can have with each other. He’s an Admiral, I’m a Commander,” Jane told her. “Unless I’m magically promoted this is all it gets to be. Besides,” Jane said with a sigh as she leaned back against Steven. “He put me on his file as his goddaughter.”

“That can be removed, Jane.”

“And people think he’s my dad…”

“What a mess,” Hannah grumbled as she ran her hands over her face.

A big fucking mess, Jane thought. Steven kissed her temple before wrapping his arms around her ribs.

“I need a shower,” Jane commented. “Can I?”

“Yes, everything has closed up nicely,” Janna told her. “Just please be careful not to reopen them, they need a few more days just to make sure.”

Hannah straightened, “Do you need help?”

“I’ll help her,” Steven said as he lifted out of the chair easily.

“Mom, enjoy the rest of your leave with Janna.”

\--

Steven barely let the door close behind them before he was shoving the sweats down over her hips and pushing himself inside of her from behind. He held her hips to him with one arm and covered her mouth with his other hand. Then he thrust hard into her, his grunt making her moan against his hand.

“Fuck,” he muttered as he pulled back and thrust again. “Can’t get enough.”

She could do nothing but receive and try to stay quiet as his hips moved fast against her. Her breasts bounced against the soft material of her shirt, her nipples hardening in pleasure. Then he was spilling himself inside of her, his shuddered breath hot against her ear.

Calloused hands grazed her body as he lifted the shirt up and over her head. Gauze was peeled away from her port, her hair tie gently removed from her tangled hair.

“Still a Goddess,” he told her before kissing her shoulder.

“You’ll make my ego huge,” she teased as she watched him toss his clothes aside. She chuckled when he scooped her up and carried her the short distance to the bathroom. “And spoil me.”

The shower was huge, plenty of room for them both to wash. And two shower heads, but Steven only activated one. Looks like he planned to help bathe her, not that she was complaining. She took the hand offered and let him help her up the very, very small step into the shower. Such a gentleman. A happy sigh left her lips as he held her against him and tipped her head back into the spray. The shampoo he massaged into her hair wasn’t her preferred brand, but it was what the hotel offered in a high priced suite.

It felt like months ago since she soaked in his tub. Since she’d been cleansed by him.

As soon as the shampoo was rinsed and conditioner applied, he stepped under the spray to quickly wash his hair before grabbing a new loofah and pouring too much soap on it. With his back blocking the spray, he gently lifted her arm and washed to the shoulder before repeating the movement on the other side. Steven took his time gliding the soap over her breast, ribs, then waist before he used his soapy hand to dip it between her legs.

“Kiss me,” she whispered, his nose grazing her forehead. The loofah fell to her feet as his large hands gripped her ass, his lips hovering over hers. “Daddy,” she said with a shudder.

“What can I do for you, sweetheart?” He asked her innocently. She whined as he dropped to his knees, the gliding of his hands up her torso aided by the soap that slowly slid down her sensitive body. “I’ve got to make sure you’re clean from head to toe.”

“Please,” she begged. When he stood back up she was sure he would give her what she craved. Only he ignored her pleading completely as he moved her back under the spray. She didn’t bother hiding her moans as he rinsed her with his battle hardened hands.

“I sure hope our guests have left,” he said with a smirk. “I plan to devour you.”

She shivered in anticipation. “Sound proof barrier,” she whispered.

The man took his sweet time activating the barrier and bringing a towel. She licked her lips as his half hard cock swayed with each step, his eyes dark and his smirk devious.

There was a good ride in her very near future.


	11. Chapter 11

It had been months of non-stop missions once she was cleared for active duty. Months of hearing her mom gush about Janna, which was actually rather nice. Months of not seeing Steven because their schedules wouldn’t come together.

The new and improved biotics on the other hand were fucking fabulous. Not once had she got even close to overloading her amp. It was such a crazy change. She no longer had to retain her biotic use in the field. Now all she needed was an asari matriarch to train her so that she could take full advantage of her increased powers.. Shepard wanted to pack a hell of a punch if unarmed.

When she entered her small quarters, there was a package waiting on her desk. Activating the soundproof barrier, she stowed her gear and opened the crate.

Once again it was locked to her biometrics which meant it was from Hackett. Inside was a large clothing box and a shoe box. Taking the datapad out, she activated it.

\--

_Dearest Goddess,_

_I know you prefer armor over anything, but I was hoping that for the evening you would accept the invitation to the Alliance ball being held on the Citadel and wear what I’ve enclosed. I’m sure you’re tired from your mission and the next twenty four hours is all you will have to rest. However, I have taken the liberty of securing us a private suite, should you join me._

_I have missed you terribly._

_P.S. Perhaps you would be so kind as to leave me with another item of your clothing? I’m afraid your panties have lost your scent._

-

_Ugh. The damn ball_. Anderson had been bugging her for weeks about it. She quickly sent a message off to David to let him know she would go. She just hoped she wasn’t expected to be there long. She would much rather be on top of her Admiral.

As busy as she’d been, there hadn’t been time or energy for an orgasm.

Erasing the message from the datapad after downloading the hotel information, she set it aside and pulled out her gear for the evening. It was time to call in professional help. Ashley Williams.

\--

There was something to say about her Admiral’s taste. The dress fit perfectly. The black, sparkling gown showed off her scars but didn’t show too much skin. Sexy but classy. Steven had even taken her shoes into consideration. He opted for sandals rather than heels. Her dress covered them anyway. He’d even gone so far as to add jewelry. Whether it was real or not, she didn’t know but it made her nervous wearing it.

“Damn, Skipper, you clean up nice!” Ashley said as she exited her room.

Shepard laughed, “Like you didn’t do my hair and makeup for me.”

“Girls gotta stick together,” she teased. “This is probably the only night a year we don’t have to wear our uniforms. And we can get away with sleeping with anyone.”

“Got someone in mind?” Shepard asked her.

Ash gave her a smirk before shaking her head. “I don’t think he knows I exist.”

_Kaidan Alenko, pain in Shepard’s brain_. “Then shoulders back, chest out and make damn sure he notices you tonight.”

And as if he knew they were speaking of him, “Hey, Commander, you busy tonight?”

“Yes,” she replied with a fake smile. “I have…other arrangements.” She winked at Ash before making a hasty exit.

“Hey, L-T,” she heard Ash say. “You busy later?”

“Williams, wow. I didn’t even recognize you,” Kaidan sputtered. “You look amazing.” Shepard could hear the blush. She didn’t even have to look back to know it was there. _Thatta girl, Ash_.

\--

There were a few appreciative looks as she made her way to the ball. Mostly from turians. They really liked scars. She ignored them until she got to the door and recognized her tutor.

“Vakarian, how the hell are you?”

His mandibles spread in a smile as he shook her hand. “Not bad, Commander. You’re looking a little less black and blue since the last time I saw you.”

“The power of beauty rest. What can I say?” She told him with a laugh. Before she could continue, a familiar man with steel in his eyes made his way toward her. “Admiral, I want you to meet someone,” Shepard said with a smile as she waved him over. “This is Garrus Vakarian, he’s been tutoring me in the art of sniping. Garrus, this is Admiral Hackett.”

“I didn’t realize you were looking to expand your training,” Hackett said before greeting Garrus professionally.

“Yes, Garrus is a good teacher and that’s saying a lot when he has to teach me. I’m also currently looking for a matriarch to better my biotic skills,” she told him.

“In that case, I’ll see what the Alliance can do to pay for Vakarian’s courses next time you’re here.”

They said their farewells since Garrus was working. “You really think the Alliance will pay for me to have more training done outside our species?” She asked him quietly as she took his offered arm.

“If they don’t, I will.”

“Steven,” she started.

“If learning other ways of fighting makes you feel safer and more effective in the field I will gladly pay for it, Jane. I told you, anything you want and it’s yours.” He paused before whispering down in her ear. “You look absolutely stunning, sweetheart. I can’t wait to peel my gifts off of your delectable body.”

She knew her ears were burning. It had been far too long for her. The arousal hit her hard. Then he continued through the door like he hadn’t just made her panties wet.

It was easy to remember why she never went to these. With the ranks disappearing for one night, every horn dog in the Alliance was looking to hook up with an untouchable. Hackett included. The jealousy she felt when women openly invited them with their eyes and smiles, well it surprised her. There hadn’t been talks of being exclusive. But since they’d fallen into bed together again, Shepard hadn’t bothered going to anyone else for relief. No one made her body sing like Steven did.

One rather lovely lady, Shepard admitted grudgingly to herself, approached them. “You must be Steven’s daughter.” Shepard tensed.

“She’s not my daughter,” Steven replied evenly.

“Oh, but the rumors were that she was your goddaughter…”

“They aren’t true,” he told the woman. “That would just be disgusting bringing my daughter as my date.”

The woman’s laughter was forced. “Yes, of course. I’ll make sure to stop the rumor whenever I hear it. Good evening.” The woman returned to the group of women and quickly whispered words.

Even with advanced hearing, it was still too loud in the room to make out what was being said. Hackett covered her hand and leaned down. “Breathe. I removed you from my file a long time ago.”

For the first time since she joined the Alliance, she would get to enjoy the ball without men and women trying to get her into bed. She could feel their eyes. Whether they were looking at her, Steven, or both she didn’t know.

“What about Kahoku and Anderson?” She asked him quietly as they approached the bar.

“I’ve already filled them in.” The look he gave her said he’d elaborate later.

Champagne in hand they made their way to the buffet. Filled with finger foods. “Seriously, it’ll take me hours to get what I need from this.”

Hackett set down his glass and presented her with a biobar. “Will this hold you until I can feed you properly?”

“Hell yeah,” she replied with a smile.

“This is the only night in a year I can openly romance you and I plan to take full advantage,” he told her when they were out of earshot. “Were you here last year?”

“Nope, on a mission then shore leave in Vegas.”

“Between the first and second meeting did you see others?”

“Yes. And it was fucking awful,” she whispered, his laughter drawing a few glances. “You?”

“Same,” he replied.

“So let’s pretend they never happened?”

“Deal,” he replied as she finished off her biobar and downed her champagne.

When his brow rose she tilted her head slightly, “What? Only ryncol affects me.”

For the entire evening Steven hogged her attention. One glare from him sent other men away as they tried to approach. The women didn’t bother trying. But then, there were many fresh and eager grunts looking for a good time.

They danced, laughed, and flirted.

Alenko on the other hand looked utterly heartbroken when he caught sight of the Admiral and Commander. Catching a glimpse of him now and then she noticed Ashley never left his side. Or sight. The poor biotic was torn between longing and fighting his attraction to Williams.

There was little doubt in Shepard’s mind that attraction would win out. Ash looked so damn sexy. Kaidan would end up going home alone if he didn’t pull his head out of his ass.

“You’re distracted,” Hackett said as he effortlessly moved them around the dance floor.

“Hungry,” she replied the exact moment her stomach growled. “And hoping Ash gets what she’s been chasing for the last year.

“The one that’s been chasing what’s mine?”

“Yours, hmm? Perhaps that’s a conversation for another time. I really need to eat.”

“As my Goddess wishes,” he told her before stepping away and giving her a bow. “I must feed the Goddess of the Alliance.”

“Good grief, people are looking!” She told him as her cheeks reddened.

“Good, you’re mine and they damned well better understand that,” he growled.

She snorted but took the offered arm.

On their way out of the hall, she tripped on her own foot. “You okay?” Steven asked the same time Garrus did.

“I’ve been awake over twenty four hours. Feed me and fuck me so I can sleep!” She said a little louder than she planned too. _She hated stubbing her toe._

Garrus burst into laughter as the Admiral smirked down at her. “As my lady wishes,” Hackett said before scooping her up and tossing her over his shoulder.

“Have a good time, Shepard!” Garrus called.

“See ya later, Vakarian!” Shepard called as she was carried away. “So…where we eating?”

“At our hotel. I’ve already placed our order and it should be waiting on us.”

“People are staring, Steven.”

“Let them.”

One face looked familiar. “We’ve got gossip news incoming.”

“I especially enjoyed the broadcast of you bearing down on her in a hoverchair with your mother on your lap,” he answered.

Shepard groaned. “Commander, the people want to know who is carrying you in a barbaric fashion!”

“Classified!” Shepard answered.

“Are you injured, Commander? Is that why you’re being carried?”

_Holy shit did this woman even quit?_ “I stubbed my toe! It was awful!” Hackett chuckled as the reporter halted with her mouth agape. “Gotta go now, my boo-boos need to be kissed away!”

“Commander, please! Are you half synthetic as a man named Vasquez claims?”

Shepard barked with laughter, “No, but I’m magical!” She yelled before locking the reporter in stasis. “Bye bye now!”

“I’m so glad I’m not your superior,” Hackett said as they entered a building. A very, very nice building. _Damn he had good taste._

It went unsaid that she’d get to see him more if he was.

The receptionist gave them a snotty look. Shepard just smiled sweetly at her.

When he didn’t set her down in the elevator, she asked him, “Getting tired yet, old man?” She yelped when he smacked her ass.

A grunt left her when the elevator halted and his shoulder dug into her ribs. She thought it was their floor until she heard familiar laughter. “I see you know how to detain an N7?” She was unamused. “Having a good night, Shepard?”

“Yes, Sir,” she replied.

“Oh, don’t get all formal on me now,” he teased.

“Yes, Uncle David,” she replied sweetly causing the men to laugh again. “And I’m assuming Papa Kahoku?”

“You’d assume correctly, kid,” the answer came.

“So…” she said awkwardly, her chin resting in her hand. “How are you guys?”

“Been busy getting you transferred into Hackett’s command,” David said as he peeked back and met her eyes.

Hackett groaned, “That means I have to deal with the media about the gossip newswoman earlier.”

“Have fun with that,” Kahoku told him with mirth.

“She put the reporter in a stasis.” The men once again filled the elevator with laughter. “Damn it, Shepard.”

“Sorry?” _Not sorry._ “Are we almost there, I’m fucking starving to death.” How far up were they going anyway?

“Almost,” Hackett told her.

“At this rate my stomach is going to eat your shoulder,” she grumbled when her belly rumbled. “Are the quarters any better on Arcturus?”

“Why? You’ll be staying with Hackett,” Kahoku answered.

“Oh yes, because that’ll be wonderful for our careers,” Shepard muttered. “Especially since all those people know I was his date tonight.”

“Shepard,” Anderson said as he got back in her line of sight. “He’s a fleet admiral. That’s impossible to replace. And you are the top, most called on, special forces soldier the Alliance has. They’ll keep their mouths shut. If the Admiralty Board catches wind of it, they’ll likely go over your files and dismiss it.”

“I hope you’re right,” she muttered. “Or you’ll be digging me out of another strip club.” She yelped when a hand hit her ass. “Ouch! Holy shit.”

“Like I’d let you strip if it came to that,” Hackett told her. Anderson just winked at her. “This is our floor. Goodnight, gentlemen.”

“Steven, Jane,” they replied with smiles. Shepard winked at them as they came in to view and blew a kiss their way before the doors closed.

“That was the longest elevator ride of my life.”

“Only the best view for you,” he told her.

Being patient wasn’t her forte, but she managed. Especially with his hand getting close and closer to her damp panties center. But of course, he was being a tease. He sat her on the counter before pulling her legs apart and stepping between them. Her heart raced as his hands glided up her legs, pulling her dress up with it.

“I need you,” she told him, her voice thick with arousal. “Now.”

Their mouths met hungrily, tongues tasting and demanding. His jacket was tossed carelessly to the floor, her panties ripped, and his pants quickly unbuttoned and pushed down. Her moan was loud and wanton as he entered her. His hips thrust hard against her as he anchored her, his mouth biting and sucking her neck.

“Daddy, harder,” she begged, then cried out when he answered immediately.

She couldn’t hold it back, it’d been too long. The coil inside of her broke, her body lighting in blue and her screams of pleasure filling the room. He was right behind her, his moan loud while his body drove hard into her as he gave her his seed.

With his grip on her loosed, she swayed backwards. Her body was weak and shaking. Completely relaxed. She couldn’t move when he stepped back to pull himself from her.

“Don’t move, I’ll get the door,” he said.

_The door?_ She sat back up with a hiss only to notice a mess. A broken lamp and crystal bowl shattered on the floor. _Oops._ And her torn panties caught on her sandal. It was quite a lot of effort to lift her leg and retrieve them. Especially after that incredible orgasm. Definitely worth the wait.

Steven returned pushing a cart into the room. “Come here,” she whispered roughly.

“Yes, Goddess,” he said with a smirk.

“You ripped my panties,” she told him.

“I’ll buy you more,” he said with a chuckle as he stepped between her legs.

With a smile, she leaned forward and kissed him. He wrapped her legs behind him before lifting her, his lips continuing their assault, his tongue slow against hers as he took his time tasting her.

Once he reached his destination, he tapered off before settling his forehead against hers. “Smell them, Steven,” she ordered as she held her torn panties up to his nose. “Are these adequate to replace the others?”

“Definitely,” he replied huskily.

“Good.”

“I think you’re most beautiful like this,” he whispered as he let her slide down his body to stand.

“Like this?” She questioned.

“Ravished, open, and just you,” he answered.

\--

The following day after an Alliance ball held many walks of shame. But hers? It was damn right wonderful. Since there were questionable substances on her dress, she opted for stealing Steven’s shirt and boxers from his bag before kissing him goodbye. The man had too much heat in his eyes to even get mad.

She walked through the airlock with her gown in one hand, sandals in the other, her hair a mess, and a shit eating grin on her face. She knew her hard nipples against the thin shirt was distracting, but there was little she could do without a bra on.

“Damn, Skipper, you look positively sexed up!” Ash said as soon as she caught sight of her.

“Sexed up, utterly ravished, and even fed!” Shepard replied with laughter. When they were alone in the elevator Shepard asked her about her night.

“Well, it was okay. The sex was great, don’t get me wrong, but his orgasm gave him a migraine,” Ash told her.

Ouch. Damn, L2’s had it bad. “Maybe you can talk to him about this place on the Citadel where I was upgraded. Maybe they can help him.”

“You know, there were a lot of angry women last night that had their sights set on Hackett,” Ash whispered. “But you have class.”

“I dunno, Ash. I caused several hundred credits in damage with the first orgasm.”

“Holy shit!”

“It had been a while,” Shepard said. It was a little embarrassing. “He didn’t even care.”

“Wait, first? You had more than one?”

“Gods, yes,” Shepard said wistfully. “These biotic upgrades have done something to me I guess.”

They exited the elevator to a busy crew deck. Not surprising giving the time of day. “Westerland is still trying to figure out who the barbarian was that carried you away.” Shepard snorted. “Rumor is you, me, and Alenko are getting transferred to Arcturus.”

“Hell yeah, it would have sucked without you.”

“I know, right!” Ash said jokingly. “I’m packing, I’ll meet you at the transport later.”


	12. Chapter 12

Officially, she had quarters near Hackett’s. Unofficially, she was too busy enjoying the man under her to pretend to move in her quarters.

“Damn it, Jane,” Steven growled when she refused to move her hips.

“Something wrong, Daddy?” How can the sex be just as amazing as it had been a year ago?

“You’re going to make us late for work,” he grumbled.

“Oh, the poor Admiral can’t be late, now can he?”

\--

They were discussing the workday when they exited his apartment. But they weren’t alone.

“Commander?” Alenko questioned as he stood taller in Hackett’s presence.

“Can I help you, Lieutenant?” Shepard was glad they’d kissed before the door opened.

“I was just coming to see what the plans were for today, Ma’am,” he told her, his eyes hard.

Shepard’s brow raised. That was out of protocol and Alenko was a by the books kind of guy. “I’ll brief you when I brief the others.” Hell, she hadn’t even received her briefing officially.

“Yes, Ma’am.”

This was going to be trouble, she could feel it. So far he had seen nothing but her leaving Hackett’s quarters discussing work. Nothing abnormal about that. Especially where her ranking and current job description was concerned.

Breaking the silence in the elevator, Shepard addressed Kaidan. “Did you get the information for Doctor T’Pori?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Kaidan replied immediately.

“Have you set up an appointment?” He was going to make her pull every shred of information out.

“No, Ma’am,” he answered.

“Then do it. Training is going to be intense and if they can help then it needs to be done as soon as possible,” she ordered.

“Aye, Ma’am,” he told her.

Train some soldiers, they said. It’ll be good for you. _Fucking assholes._ Why did they have to send Alenko too?

As soon as the elevator opened, Shepard and Hackett turned in the direction of his office while Kaidan went the other way. Thankfully. Once the door glowed red behind her, Hackett had her pressed up against it, his mouth hard on hers. Jealousy. Again. She kissed with just as much need until he was fulfilled enough to step back.

“Something on your mind?” She asked him quietly.

Hackett sighed as he turned towards his desk. “He still wants you.”

“I’m still not interested.”

“But why?” He asked her as he leaned over his desk. “His young and attractive.”

“Why the hell would I want a sad puppy?” Her footsteps measured as she rounded his desk making him stand as she pushed into his space. “There’s a possessive wolf I’d much rather spend my time with.”

“That so?”

“He’s a bit of an attention whore, but I don’t mind,” she teased, his soft chuckle a victory. “Especially since he has a big cock and the stamina of a turian.”

“You’re horrible,” he told her with a rough chuckle.

“He smells delicious, too, makes me wet any time I get close enough to scent his aftershave.”

“Damn it, girl. How am I supposed to work now?”

“The same way you always have,” she told him before giving him a chaste kiss and letting her work mask slip on. “Now Admiral, what exactly does my work entail on Arcturus Station?”

\--

The men and women newly under her command gathered quietly. She remembered Vega, then there was Ash and Alenko. He still had a sour look on his face.

Twenty-one men and women lined the table in the meeting room near the training floor. Hell, she even got her own little office.

“I’m Commander Shepard and I’ll be your training officer for the foreseeable future. I ask that until I learn all your names that you wear your patched PT gear.” The group said nothing as they stared at her wide-eyed. “I’ve been given permission to hire teachers to help hone the skills in your current class.” Still nothing. _What a lively bunch._ “With Admiral Hackett’s help, I’ve already gone through all of your files and they all leave a lot to be desired. Your training under me will be intense. I’ve already called in assistance for the biotics to see if any upgrades can be made.”

“Why do we need upgrades?” a dark man asked.

“Name?”

“Taylor,” he replied.

“I’m not saying you do need them, but depending on the model and your power it could be vital to upgrade,” she told him. “Or else fry your amp.” When no else spoke up, she continued. “I’ve put out feelers for other classes. Hopefully, I’ll hear something soon. Now for today’s agenda, we’re going to head to the training floor. You will all take turns sparring with me so I can see where you stand in hand-to-hand combat. Any questions?”

They all followed her silently down the hall. Like they were being led to the electric chair. _Holy shit this was going to be boring if they didn’t loosen their tongues a bit_. 

It took half the day to get through her group. Most of the men pulled punches, including Kaidan. It pissed her off. Ashley was the only fun one simply because they’d danced many times before. Some were too easy, taking very little effort on Shepard’s part to make them eat mat.

“If I were you, I wouldn’t fill up on lunch,” Shepard told them as she looked over her group sitting on the bleachers. “That was a piss poor demonstration. Pulling punches. Not trying.” Kaidan’s face reddened. “You get to spend the rest of your work day getting smoked. Dismissed.”

Hackett was waiting for her in her office. Apparently he’d been watching from the window. “Go well?”

She snorted, “Something I can help you with, Admiral?”

“I got a call from an asari Justicar of all people. She’s interested in training your biotics.”

Shepard whistled, “How much is that going to cost?”

“Nothing.”

“Bullshit!” Shepard said, shocked.

“Her payment is learning more about humans. She’s nearly a thousand years old and rarely leaves asari space,” he told her as he took a seat in front of her desk. “I accepted, she’ll be here in a few days.”

“That’s excellent. I didn’t expect it to happen so quickly. When’s the doctor coming in?”

“She’ll be here this evening and start in the morning.”

Everything was coming together. Hackett worked fast. But then, so did she. “Alright, lunch?”

“I thought I’d take you to that Italian place since our cafeteria isn’t up to your standards,” he told her with a smirk as he stood.

_Hell yeah. Secretly fucking an Admiral had awesome benefits_. “Mind if I bring work?”

“It’d probably be best if you did.”

Before he could open the door, she wrapped her arms around his back, “Want to fuck me on my new desk later?”

“You’re going to kill me,” he replied.

“Your desk then,” she whispered as she took in his aftershave. “You smell so good.”

“I’ll come to your quarters with dinner later and we can unpack you and break in your bed,” he told her before kissing her forehead.

“Kiss me to seal the deal, Daddy,” she whispered against his lips. She expected him to kiss her like he had in his office, instead he kissed her tenderly. Like he was memorizing the way she tasted.

\--

By the time she locked up her office and made her way to her quarters, Kaidan was waiting for her.

“What do you need, Alenko?” She asked tiredly.

“Do you need help unpacking?” He asked hopefully.

“I appreciate the offer, but Hackett’s going to help me while we go over the applications of tutors,” she told him as she unlocked her door.

“I see,” he replied.

“You should get some rest. The doctor will be here in the morning and your new instructor in a few days,” she told him gently. “You’re going to hate me by the time the month is over.”

That pulled a quiet laugh from him. “Like basic all over again?”

“Yes, but much worse.”

“Understood, Commander. See you tomorrow,” he told her with a smile before leaving.

She’d just got her boots off when Hackett entered the apartment. And he looked pissed. He and Kaidan must have crossed paths in the hall.

“Why was he here again?” Hackett asked as he set their dinner on the bar. “Do I need to write him up for harassment?”

Shepard chuckled, only further angering her possessive wolf. “Did you bring me more of your clothes to wear?”

“There are stores to buy your own clothes, Jane” he told her.

“But they don’t smell like you,” she replied with a smirk.

“Distracting me will not drop this, Jane,” he repeated her name like it would help.

With a sigh she began to strip as she made her way to her room. “He wanted to know if I needed help unpacking.”

Hackett followed. “You have one bag and one crate.”

“Yeah, well. I’m used to living out of a bag.” And it looked like she’d left his shirt at his apartment. “Did you bring me a shirt?”

With a shake of his head, he removed his hat and began unbuttoning his uniform jacket. “Bra off,” he told her as the jacket slid down his arms before he tossed it on her empty dresser.

She obeyed, standing before him in nothing but panties and socks as he pulled his white tee shirt over his head. His eyes greedily took her in as she pulled his warm shirt over her head.

“Panties off too.”

Teasing foreplay it was. Not that she was complaining. She’d enjoy his tension later. After dinner. “Yes, Daddy,” she whispered.

They ate dinner quietly, both off in their own thoughts. She preferred to be in Hackett’s apartment, simply because of the warmth. Personalization made a difference. Even if it was somewhat messy. Her apartment was cold. Metal everything. Basic military furniture. Uncomfortable couch. The bed probably sucked, too. But with Kaidan lurking it was probably best to be seen using her apartment.

“Why isn’t this floor locked out to lower ranked?” On ships she’d served on they were.

“I never needed to. It was just me and guest housing for visiting dignitaries,” he replied. “Do you want me to?”

“Well, I’d like the privacy of coming and going but if you did it now it would be suspicious,” she answered.

“What if I waited until your instructors begin to arrive?”

That would make a little more sense, giving the instructors peace to not be bothered during their stay. “Sounds good.”

With dinner out of the way, she opened her omnitool to go over the dozen applications awaiting her. She didn’t even get to open one before Steven pulled her into his lap, forcing her to straddle him. “I really like seeing you in nothing but my shirt,” he whispered as he squeezed her ass.

“I thought this was a work visit,” she teased, closing her omnitool and giving him her full attention.

A sigh left her when he pushed his hips up against her, his half hard cock rubbing her. “I wanted to talk to you before, but it’s hard to focus when I can see so much skin.”

“About what?”

“Us,” he replied, his hands resting on her bare hips.

“Anything specific?” She asked him as she laced her fingers behind his neck. He licked his lips nervously making Shepard’s interest peak. “Can you talk with your cock inside me?”

“No,” he told her, his chuckle rough.

“I’m getting impatient.”

“You’re always impatient, Jane.”

Whatever he was about to talk to her about had him uncharacteristically nervous. It was odd to see. All he’d ever radiated was confidence and power. “Talk to me,” she whispered, resting her forehead against his.

His shoulders slumped, his sigh brushing her skin as he gathered his courage. “Would you be mine, exclusively?”

“I thought I already was,” she told him. “I told you already that I’m obsessed with you.”

“You haven’t,” he argued.

“Well then I thought it.”

“You’re mine? I don’t have to share you?”

“Duh,” she replied with a smirk. “Obsessed, I am. Completely and utterly obsessed.” Her laughter was soft when he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight. “Super-secret couple?”

“Yes,” he agreed.

“You can’t let this affect our working relationship. You have to send me where I’m needed. If it ever comes to light that we’re breaking the regs, our work records need to be spotless,” she told him seriously.

“Agreed.”

“No favoritism.”

“None,” he agreed again.

Shepard spent the next half hour watching the man’s power crumble under her. The roles reversed, she made him beg and as she took her time with him. Denied him. But she could only deny him for so long, her own release giving him his.


	13. Chapter 13

“Thane Krios, biotic, sniper, and hand-to-hand expert,” Shepard said as she read over the information again. “I invited you first hoping you’d be what I’m looking for. Do you have any vids showcasing your skills?”

The drell said nothing as he opened his omnitool and sent a file to her terminal. Pressing play, she watched in awe. “Holy shit that’s sexy.”

The drell’s brow raised. “What’s sexy?” A hard, familiar voice said.

“Watch this,” she told Hackett. He leaned over the back of her chair.

“Impressive, Krios,” Hackett stated. “Is he your choice, Shepard?”

“Um, hell yes. I want lessons on that kind of badassery!” She told Hackett making him chuckle as he straightened. “I’d be a one woman army,” she said dreamily.

“You already are,” Hackett reminder her.

“Not as awesome as that, though,” she returned before addressing Krios. “Teach me your ways.”

The drell chuckled roughly, “I will do my best. I do, however, have a request should you hire me.”

“What’s that?” Hackett asked.

“That my son be cleared to join me, he is of school age and I suspect I’d be here for quite some time.”

Shepard waited for Hackett, impatiently. Just as he said she was. She really wanted to learn how to fight as gracefully as the drell. “Welcome aboard,” Hackett said, finally. “Should you need specific tutoring for your son, please let me know.”

She could barely contain her excitement.

“Sexy?” Hackett asked as soon as they were alone.

“Please tell me there’s vids of you fighting out there somewhere…” she whispered.

He invaded her personal space, his eyes hard. “Sexy?”

“Yes, sexy. I want to move like that,” she told him. “To kill gracefully.”

“You move like that under me,” he whispered huskily. “And over me.”

“Are there vids of you, Steven?” Her voice breathless.

“This isn’t helping me keep it professional during work hours, Jane,” he whispered as he leaned his body over her. “I want nothing more than to fuck you over this desk.”

The shiver and whimper couldn’t be helped. It really wasn’t fair. “Please.”

“No. I’ll not jeopardize our careers because you beg me.” She nodded, afraid her aroused voice would be what broke their agreement. “I’ll be late tonight. I have a few comm meetings.”

He smirked at her when she nodded again. _Bastard. Sexy, irresistible prick._

\--

All training had come to a full stop as everyone watched her and Krios spar. It was intense. And exhilarating. Finally someone that didn’t pull their punches. Someone that challenged all her knowledge on up close and personal combat.

And his skills were impressive. Insanely controlled biotic punches.

Shepard didn’t know how long they fought on the mats, only that her decision to hire him was well worth whatever the Alliance was paying him.

Then there was the crowd gathering. More and more poured in when rumors flew through the station, even though this training room was for her group only.

The distraction cost her a kick to the back, making her grunt.

The two said nothing as they traded hits, her skin glistening, her sports bra and spanx soaked through with sweat. Then there was the slippery mat. Slick with her sweat. But she got back up and fought on. Even if her body hit the mat four times more than his.

They were bloody and bruised when Admiral Hackett called it quits. It was dinner time.

“Seriously? We’ve been sparring for that long?” At Hackett’s nod she turned her attention back to Thane. “Thane, it was enjoyable to finally spar with someone challenging. Hopefully you got enough information to better my skills.”

“I will think on it and we can begin in a few days,” he told her with a bow before grabbing his jacket and vest off of a bench.

“I want everyone that does not belong to this training room to leave immediately!” Shepard called above the noise. Grumbles of displeasure could be heard as they all filed out the doors until her group and Thane was all that was left.

“Alright, I hope you enjoyed the show because tomorrow you all get a workout.” She laughed at the slumped shoulders. “Now, since we are receiving guests, the floor I reside on will no longer be accessible to you.” Kaidan’s eyes narrowed. “There will be no extra foot traffic other than your new tutors and their families. If you have need of me, message me. If it isn’t important, leave me alone. Dismissed.”

\--

After getting Thane settled in, Shepard went to her own apartment to shower. It was kind of nice having her own bathroom.

There were a couple more instructors she had to approve this evening, if the Alliance cleared them. The Justicar had arrived today.

Grabbing everything she would need for the night, she left and made her way to Hackett’s apartment. Firing up her alias, she sent him a message before changing into one of his shirts. Poor man would be naked when she was done with his closet.

-

_AG: Sir, will you be bringing dinner home or forcing me to feed myself?_  
SH: I already left you food in the fridge, Ms. Gunn. No dessert however. My sincerest apologies. I will return once my work is finished.  
AG: I already have dessert prepared for you, Daddy. Attachment  
SH: I am returning now. 

-

Shepard laughed. It was so easy sometimes. One little holo of her fingers dipped under the waistband of her panties and he came running. She looked down when a new message came in.

-

_SH: I want you bent over the back of the couch and your panties around your knees.  
AG: Anything for you, Daddy._

-

She had to spread her legs to keep her panties at her knees. It didn’t take long for him to storm through the door in a hurry, his clothes leaving a trail from the now locked quarters to directly behind her.

“Do you want to elaborate on calling another man sexy, Jane?” He asked as he stood behind her.

“Not really,” she replied only to receive a hard smack across her ass before her head was jerked back by her hair.

“I really think you do, girl.”

“No, Daddy,” she replied huskily. A moan left her lips when his hand connected with her skin.

“Then I see you sparring with him, scantily clad,” Hackett told her. “Fire in your eyes that should only belong to me.”

“Only fire to succeed,” she answered quickly.

“Hmm,” he replied, his fingers grazing the sensitive welt. He released her head and circled the couch before lifting her head back up. She shuddered when the tip of his cock grazed her nose. “Look at me.” She obeyed eagerly. “Perhaps you’re right, what I see now is different from the training room.”

“I’m yours, Daddy,” she told him softly. “Only yours.”

“Be a good girl and open your pretty mouth for me.” Submissiveness was not exactly something she could do well. But he made it easy simply because Shepard knew he’d give her pleasure. “That’s my girl, now let my fuck your mouth.” Shepard moaned against his cock as he filled her mouth. She couldn’t take him all, not in this position and he knew it. But he continued anyway, the angle making her gag as her eyes watered against her will. “Definitely not the same,” he whispered. Another gag as he thrust slowly into her mouth. “Mmm, so good.”

When he pulled free he dropped her chin and circled back around her. When she thought he was finally going to penetrate her aching sheath, he smacked her again. “Please,” she whispered roughly.

“Please what, my beautiful Goddess?”

“Fuck me,” she pleaded.

“Can I not have a holo of your dripping pussy before I enjoy you?” Before she could answer his fingers slid across her skin. “Put your legs together,” he ordered.

The moan that left her was broken when his tongue teased her folds, his cock slathered in her saliva easily slid between her calves. “Daddy,” she begged quietly.

“Hush, girl. I want to taste you.”

“Fuck,” she muttered only to gasp when he smacked her again. Her whimpers and cries went unnoticed as he slowly rocked his cock between her calves. His tongue swirling around her clit lazily before dipping inside of her.

Sexual torture.

It was frustrating.

Just when she could start to feel the coil begin to tighten inside of her, Hackett’s omnitool begin to ring with a priority call. He stood and quickly seated himself inside of her as her frustrated groan turned into a wanton moan.

“Not one sound, Jane.”

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Hackett,” he answered before thrusting his hips.

[It’s Anderson, have you read the report yet?]

Hackett rolled his hips into her making her bite her lip hard. “It’s the next one in my stack.”

[Call me after you’ve read it.]

“I will, Hackett out.”

[Anderson out.]

There was some guilt from pulling him away from work, but with each thrust they faded away. Each jerk of his hips tightening the coil he so slowly started.

“Are you close?” He asked roughly.

“Yes,” she answered. _He must be in a hurry._ “If you need…”

But he interrupted. “Touch yourself for me, sweetheart.”

“Daddy,” she whimpered as she obeyed. His hips snapped harder into her, her moans muffled by the couch.

“I need to fill you,” he told her, his voice low. “Do you want me to come inside you, little girl?”

The waves crashed over her abruptly, her cries unheard as he joined her. He knew how to make her cum, he knew just what to say to push her pleasure over the edge to euphoria.

\--

It was a little frustrating have such good instructors and not being able to use them herself. Garrus had been able to join, thankfully. The Hierarchy was a little intrigued and they were now in talks of letting Shepard host a turian/human training session.

The quarian turned out to be a sweet young woman, Tali’Zorah. Young but insanely intelligent. Her approval had taken just as long as Garrus’ simply because her captain wanted to be sure that her quarters would meet her needs.

As promised, Thane was taking his time to teach her what she could improve on. It left her body sore but it would be well worth it. Since his son was arriving today, they’d miss their training session. But Shepard understood. There were reports she needed to catch up on anyway.

With Steven working late often, Shepard used the time to bulk up. Strength and endurance training alone. Agility, flexibility, and finesse with Thane after hours. Soon it would be her turn with Samara. She’d be lucky if she didn’t have to be carried home.

Months passed quickly for her. Her days filled with training and missions, her nights filled with Steven. Their non-human instructors didn’t care of her private life, nor did they care which apartment she left from in the morning. They kept it quiet, as she requested. And Kolyat, he was a brilliant young man with many technical talents. Shepard had been letting him join the group on occasion.

Everything had been going so well, she should have expected it.

She had been called back to Earth to meet with the Admiralty board. Steven had been called into a last minute meeting, which was normal. But with her receiving the call before he returned?

Well…there was only one thing they could want.

-

There was nothing she could say as she numbly packed her meager belongings. Discharged over a holo that someone had snuck of her and Hackett in her office. She remembered the day. Falling asleep at her desk was a rare occurrence, but it did happen several times.

Steven had come to check on her when she hadn’t returned home.

The holo that was taken was of him carrying her bridal style, his forehead pressed to hers as they smiled at each other. A good holo, if she did say so herself. But one that ended her career.

Stripped of her rank.

Like she had committed treason. Like she was a traitor. For simply loving her superior.

With Hackett held up in various meetings, likely the fall out of their relationship, Shepard returned his clothing to his apartment before gathering her bag and crate.

If Hackett continued to see her, they’d take his stripes. So she would make it easy for him.

Disappearing in a galaxy this big was simple.

Leaving a man behind she cared deeply about? So painful she felt nothing.


	14. Chapter 14

There were many things Anderson had witnessed in his military career. But seeing the Alliance’s top N7 operative stripped of rank was definitely the most surprising. A week later and he was still shocked. Then learning Alenko had been the one to report the abuse of the regulations…well that made his blood boil.

The shocked look on the young biotic’s face as Anderson told the group and instructors that their Commander had been relieved of duty just fueled his anger more. What did he expect? That the Admiral would be the one stripped of his rank? That with Hackett gone, Alenko would finally get what he wanted?

Dumb idiotic kids these days.

The turian was the first to leave. Within days, the Hierarchy pulled back from the negotiations of interspecies training. The turians weren’t pleased with the reason the Commander had been discharged. Hell, Anderson wasn’t either. Perhaps he was more turian than human.

The quarian and Justicar left soon after.

Then the drell.

Without Shepard, the training was useless. It wasn’t because of her rank, Anderson knew that for fact. It was her charisma that pulled people in. That made them work harder.

The group had lost its soul.

His chuckle was humorless as the Admiralty Board struggled to talk the turians back into negotiations. _No Shepard, no deal._

They couldn’t find her. David figured they never would. Did he want Shepard back? Hell yes. But he wouldn’t go to her until the Board was desperate enough to make some compromises.

The Admiral…he looked awful. Like a shell really. The guilt weighed heavily on him. And with his woman disappearing…

And what could David do? Give up her location? The Admiral was being watched and if he ran to her, like David knew he would, then his career would be over too. All these damn taxpayer credits lost over love.

Missions were failing, humans were losing footing outside Earth, and an Admiral was crumbling from heartbreak. All at the hands of one jealous Lieutenant.

\--

“Are you sure you’re okay sharing your apartment, Garrus?” Shepard asked him again. “With a stripper of all things?”

“Yes, besides,” he said as he clipped his pistol to his armor. “Rent on the Citadel is high. I’d rather my friend not be down in crappy areas.”

Shepard snorted, “I can take care of myself.”

“I know. But if you really want to lessen the trail you leave then its best to just share rent.”

“True enough.” She’d rather be in Vegas enjoying the desert. But it would be a dangerous game should Steven catch wind of it. “So,” she said as she exited the bathroom revealing her new look. “Do I look like me?”

“I won’t lie,” Garrus told her. “That hair color is awful on you.”

“Good thing it isn’t permanent then,” she told him with mirth.

“I don’t like it. It’s your voice and your scent but…” he visibly shuddered. “The hair and eyes don’t fit you.”

“Excellent, easier to hide this way. Especially if Alliance comes in.”

“Why don’t you take the Primarch’s offer? It’d be more credits and you can do what you love,” Garrus said as he pulled a tube of paste out of a drawer.

Shepard sighed. “What I love is Hackett. Everything else pales in comparison.”

The pair said nothing as their own thoughts consumed them. No one, outside of Anderson and Garrus, knew where she was. The last thing she needed was some Alliance soldier to recognize her in the club.

“Before I forget, I got you a pass for the C-Sec gym,” Garrus said as he transferred the information to her. “It wouldn’t do for you to lose what you worked so hard for.”

“Ah, yes, these beautiful muscles,” she replied dryly. “Can’t have those disappearing.”

“Trust me, turians at the club will tip you well if your muscles gleam under the harsh lighting.”

“Even though I’m a human?”

“Species won’t matter in that place,” he replied as he tossed his empty tube.

“So I should wear glitter to highlight them?” She asked him, her eyebrow raised in surprise. “I don’t remember this being an issue the last time I did this work.” Then there was the option of choosing her own clothing, if she paid for it herself, or being given the standard dancing suit.

“Wear something that shows your shoulders and waist,” Garrus told her. “Maybe something that accentuates the hips.”

So a loose crop top, boy shorts, and maybe some thigh high heeled boots. “Looks like I need to go shopping. Do you know of any adult specialty stores?” A short corset could be just what she needed.

“A few in the lower wards,” he told her as he transferred nav points. “What do humans call it when they pull their hair back?”

“A ponytail,” she answered.

“Some turians were talking about that in the locker room. It sharpens the facial features and kind of mocks fringe so I’d recommend that.”

“Who knew turians would find humans so attractive?” Shepard teased. “Alright, I’m headed out to shop before I have to get to work.”

“See you tomorrow,” Garrus said in farewell.

The district the nav point led her to seemed to be a little more adult-orientated. What surprised her was the turian female working in a human store.

“How can I help you?”

“I need help choosing clothing that will accentuate parts of my body for turian customers.”

“Escort or dancer?” Shepard must not be her first. That was a relief.

“Dancer.”

“Oh, good,” the woman said with a sigh. “It’s so much easier to dress dancers.”

The female shoved her into a changing room and began tossing her clothing. It was a little difficult putting unfamiliar clothing on but the turian was patient. “I suppose you’ll want to see?”

“Yes,” the female answered.

Shepard stepped out of the dressing room in a black strapless corset that stopped just below her ribs. The short black skirt seemed more like a tutu but in the dark lighting of a strip club, Shepard doubted it would be noticed. The material made her waist look smaller and her hips bigger. The boots were black leather that melded to her legs with a push of a button.

“Wow,” the turian whispered. “If I wasn’t mated…”

Shepard laughed, “I suppose this will do then?”

“Definitely. How often will you be dancing?”

“That depends on the customer base,” Shepard replied. Thank goodness she knew the owner. “I get to choose my own schedule.”

“Excellent, that will give me time to see what else I can find for your wardrobe.”

“I’ll need a glitter lotion as well,” Shepard told her as she returned to the changing room. “The more credits I pull in, the less I have to shake my ass.”

“Understood. Though I do recommend a different fringe color.”

_Fuck_. “You can tell it isn’t my natural color?”

“Yes, I recommend something dark to go with the shade of your flesh.”

_Well crap_. Once she’d changed and they made their way to the terminal, Shepard used her omnitool to change her hair color. _Thank you, Kasumi._ “Help me choose,” Shepard commanded after she paid.

The turian studied her closely as she went through various hair colors. “Wait, go back.” Shepard did as requested. “That one.”

“Dark purple it is. What about my eyes?” Shepard asked as she leaned forward desperately trying not to think of Hackett. And that damn blue-purple bike.

“Choose a lighter color, perhaps a light purple or a gray?”

“I may end up sending others your way as helpful as you’ve been,” Shepard told her with a grateful smile as she saved her appearance changes.

“You do that and I’ll give you a discount!”

\--

“Lola!” the owner called. “You are going ….to triple my business… looking like that.”

“Anything for my favorite volus,” she told him. “However, I won’t be working every night.”

“Of course….not,” he replied. “Once a week….would surely….be enough.”

Shepard smiled, “I told you I would repay your kindness by giving me work and keeping it off the books.”

“Never doubted…it.”

“Is everything ready? I’m a little rusty but you know I won’t let you down,” she told him as she checked her reflection one last time.

“Extra…supplies in…place.”

The extra supplies ended up being needed as the night went on. Garrus even came with a few of his turian coworkers because he’d ‘heard’ of a new dancer.

Dancing on stage was easy, especially being disguised. Getting lost in the beat of the music as her body was viewed, appreciated, and heavily tipped. She didn’t even have to take her clothes off. The strip clubs she danced in on Earth before coming to the Citadel had been nude clubs. The other species seem to appreciate the tease more than the nakedness.

For hours she danced for her customers, making each of them feel like they were the only ones watching her.

By the time the night came to an end, she’d pulled in over four-thousand credits.

“Wow,” was all her boss could say.

“I’d recommend advertising for next week. Same time and stock up on supplies.”

“Yes,” he breathed.

“And send your dancers here,” she told him as she transferred the nav point. “Have them tell the female turian that Lola sent them.”

When she left the club, Garrus was waiting on her. His eyes held an apology as his C-Sec buddies talked around him.

“Ready, Garrus?” Shepard asked as she approached him and slid her arm into his. She really wished she’d taken the time to change. “Gentlemen,” she said with a smirk as they all stared wide-eyed and open-mouthed between the two.

“Sure thing, Lola,” Garrus replied, his mandible twitching in humor. Poor Garrus would be harassed forever after this. “Want to grab dinner on the way home or just eat paste?”

“I could go for a burger, know any place that delivers? I’d like to change before someone mistakes me for a prostitute.”

Garrus barked with laughter as they left the stunned group behind and made their way to the transport station. Before they got too far, Shepard turned to call back to the group. “I’ll be dancing the same time next week!”

“Make that many credits?” Garrus asked her quietly.

“Hell yes,” she replied. “My half of the bills are covered. As well as my half for next month.”

“Spirits!”

“Tell me about it, I’ve never made that much before and I have you and that turian at the adult store to thank.”

“Think you can get me a job there?” Garrus asked with a wide smile.

“You want to shake that turian ass of yours while scantily clad?” Shepard asked him knowing he much preferred armor over anything.

Garrus grumbled, “Not really.”

“I’m paying for dinner tonight in celebration,” she told him as she sent their orders off. “And I’ll pick up groceries tomorrow after I get done training at C-Sec.”

“You’ll have admirers…” he warned.

“Don’t care,” she replied. “But if it’ll make you feel better I’ll change my hair color.”

Staying busy was easy on a place as big as the Citadel. But it was when she was in her bed that reality came crashing down. She missed Steven. Hell, she missed her mom. Staying away from Janna had been easy. It was better if Hannah didn’t know where she was.

The months dragged by. Dancing had been a good outlet. Training even better. But none of it satisfied her. Not like it had when she was on Arcturus with her lover only a breath away. She’d even tried to watch some old vids of a younger Hackett in action. That only left her more heart broken and aroused.

Garrus had been a rock as she tried to find her footing. There were very few people she could call friends but she was glad he was one of them. Tali messaged now and then, as did Samara and Thane. And while she was grateful to have them in her life, they just weren’t him.

Hell, she didn’t even have a holo of her Admiral. The ones on the extranet were a poor substitute.

With a sigh, she stood from the makeup table and began to dress. There were customers waiting for her. She no longer needed the credits after six months of dancing. Now she just did it because she was settled. Not happy or content, but settled. It kept the Admiral at bay, mostly.


	15. Chapter 15

_What a fucking disaster_ , David thought as they went through intel and security vids. “How did this happen?” David asked the room full of high ranking officials.

An analyst flinched at his tone. “We missed it the first time, Sir.”

“How the hell do you miss plans on the kidnapping of an Admiral?” David growled. “Is that not specifically what your job entails?”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Enough,” Kahoku said tiredly.

“We know where he’s being held and who has him,” An older man said, a member of the admiralty board named Jones. “Who is the best we have to retrieve him?”

David laughed without humor, “You stripped her of her rank six months ago.”

“Surely one person isn’t any better than another,” a woman said. Gallan, David thought her name was.

“You read the same reports I do. We’re losing out there with Shepard gone. Colonies being overrun by pirates and slavers…”

“Agreed,” Kahoku said. “Since you discharged Shepard, everything has gone to shit.”

“What about the men and women she was training?” Jones asked.

“Dispersed because you took away their soul,” David told him sharply. “Possible allies pulled back. The Admiral lost his will.”

“Yes, I get it. It’s all our fault she was breaking regs with an Admiral,” the man returned. “Do you know where she is?”

“I do,” David answered.

“Then we’ll leave it to you to get her,” Gallan told him.

For fuck’s sake. This is where he should fight for her. Make them compromise. But she’d never forgive him if Steven were killed.

\--

The club Shepard was currently dancing at was packed. Smoke drifted above his head as he pushed his way through the crowd. He didn’t want to be here but her comm code had been shut down.

Finding her was proving to be difficult. He didn’t even know her stage name. Instead of breaking her cover, he took a seat at the bar making sure he was easily seen from the various stages. She’d see him easily in his Alliance uniform.

It didn’t take long for him to be approached. “Mmm, don’t you look out of place,” a familiar voice said. “The name’s Lola,” she said as she effortlessly slid into his lap.

Anderson chuckled, “Lola, with all the envious stares, one would think you don’t do lap dances.”

“That I don’t,” she replied. “But perhaps for you, I might.”

Stares followed as she slid from his lap and pulled him off the stool. Her hips sashayed as she led him behind the curtain that would take them to the private rooms. As soon as they were hidden, she let his hand go, back straight, and guided him through a hall before opening a dressing room. The dancer gone and the soldier slid into place.

“What’s going on, Anderson? Why have you come?”

“Hackett’s transport was sabotaged. He and several others have been kidnapped,” Anderson told her quickly. A breath left her as she fell into the chair. “We need you.”

She nodded before she sent off a message, “Let’s go.”

“Dressed like that?”

“Yes. Hackett has my spare armor in his quarters on Arcturus. I’m assuming that’s where we’re going?” She asked as she stood, her hard eyes glossy with tears.

“Yes.”

\--

Panic seized her gut when she saw him. Anderson wouldn’t come if it wasn’t important. Her fear had been about her mother. She never expected…

It mattered little.

There were odd looks as she made her way through customs, Anderson right with her as they boarded an Alliance transport. She knew she looked like a hooker. She didn’t give a fuck.

“Great, I look like you gave me a lap dance,” Anderson complained as he tried to wipe the tiny flecks of glitter off of his uniform.

“Sorry, Sir,” she stated automatically.

Her heels clicked on the metal floor as she followed Anderson through Arcturus halls. They were already waiting on her.

All eyes were on her. Wide and confused.

“I thought you said you were inbound with Shepard,” Jones said causing Kahoku to stifle a laugh. “I’ve already assembled a team for her!”

“I don’t want your Alliance poster-boy,” Shepard said as she pressed a few commands on her omnitool. Her hair and eye color program dropping to revert to her natural. Kaidan blushed furiously at her glare. She wasn’t stupid, she knew who took the holo. “I’m going alone with or without your permission or intel.”

As soon as Vega entered with her armor in tow, she stripped out of her dancing gear and began to armor up.

“We’re prepared to give you your rank back, Commander,” Jones said as he watched her with lust-filled eyes. Shepard snorted, making the man redden in anger.

“You can go fuck yourself, Jones,” Shepard replied. “Or you can have the Major do it. I hear his tattle-telling got him a promotion.”

“Shepard,” Kaidan started.

“Save it,” she told him, her voice flat. Turning her attention back to Jones, “You can either give me the intel or not.”

“Captain, I told you to bring her back into the Alliance! We can’t risk an incident!”

“No,” Anderson replied. “You told me to get Shepard. I did. You want her back in the fold, then you better be ready for compromises. And a promotion.”

“Out of the question!”

_Fuck them_ , Shepard thought as she took her weapons from Vega. “You missed a show on the Citadel, Vega.”

“Oh I heard about it, Lola,” he told her with a flirty wink. “I think everyone has. I suspected it was you, but it’s not my business.”

With everything she needed, knowing David would send her the intel, she left. There was a private shuttle with an off duty Alliance pilot waiting for her.

She couldn’t help but smirk as Jones flipped out behind her, Alenko close on her heels. “Not interested, Major. Find someone else’s life to ruin.”

“Shepard, please,” he begged.

“Go fuck yourself, _Major_.”

Within half an hour she was grabbing Thane and Garrus from their pickup point and heading to the location David had sent her.

“How pissed is your dad going to be, Garrus?”

“Right now, livid. After it’s known that I helped save a high ranking military human, hopefully just angry,” Garrus said, his voice rumbling in humor.

“Thane?”

“Kolyat is safely tucked away with family while I help you in your mission,” he replied.

“I appreciate you both being here on such short notice.”

“My Primarch will be pleased,” Garrus told her with a shoulder bump. “I’m just excited for a change in scenery.”

Nothing more was said as they neared the planet Steven and a few others were being held on. Shepard went over the maps of the facility as well as the scans their pilot, Cortez, was receiving.

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you doing this, Cortez,” she said softly as she entered the cockpit.

“So long as you get me home to my husband in one piece…”

Shepard laughed before kissing his cheek. “I’ll do my best.” Turning back to her small team, “Drop point in three.” They secured their helmets and checked their weapons.

Once their feet hit the ground they were off. “Stay hidden, Cortez.” She reminded him.

[Aye, aye.] the pilot replied.

The planet itself was a desert world. Sand bounced off their faceplates as gusts of wind made it swirl up from the ground. “Double time,” she whispered. With a storm coming in, they had to get to the facility ahead of it. It wasn’t expected to last long, but she wanted the advantage it would give her.

Guards would go inside, security cameras would be filled with nothing but dust and sand. The only downside is not having stable contact to Cortez while the storm blew through. They had maybe forty to fifty minutes to get inside undercover of the storm before they could get to Steven and the others. Then they could clear the base and call for pick up.

“Ghost,” she whispered to Thane. “See if you can find a vent,” she ordered as soon as they were against the building.

[I’m inside, orders?”]

“Find and secure our people,” she told him. “Archangel, be prepared to be a distraction once they’re secure.”

[Aye, aye,] came the digitized voice of her turian team mate.

It was better for them to go by call-signs instead of their names. Easier to remain hidden in plain sight. Safer for their families.

They sat out in the sandstorm for more than half an hour. Shepard was beginning to get concerned. Their time was running short and soon the storm would no longer be hiding them.

[Five Alliance personnel secured,] Thane said. [But there is injured and we can’t return the same way I came.]

Shepard breathed a sigh of relief before nodding to Garrus to hack the system. As soon as the door opened they ducked inside, the lights flickering and the doors opening and closing.

“What the hell! Again?” a voice called as they entered the room. “I hate this planet!”

[Lola, the guards are beginning to check cells,] Thane told her.

“Well, shit,” Shepard whispered. “Ready to fight our way through, Archangel?”

“Thought you’d never ask.”

Gods, she’d missed this. The adrenaline, the excitement. But one guard managed to send out a call that alerted the station to invaders.

“Vasquez! She is half robot!” he yelled before she slammed him against the wall with her biotics.

“Someone you know, _Lola_?” Garrus asked her cheekily.

“It would appear so, Archangel.”

[Lola, we’re fighting but they have the advantage,] Krios breathed roughly.

_Damn it. Why was the intel never good? Twenty people inside the facility. Bull fucking shit._ “We’re coming.”

Shepard tossed a grenade into the hall, the unarmored people not standing a chance as fragments ripped through their bodies.

The minutes felt long as they fought their way towards the prison block. Unarmored turned to armored, then better skilled. The closer they got the longer it took.

But they were too late.


	16. Chapter 16

[Oh, Sheparrrrrd,] a voice called over the intercom system. [I’ve waited a very long time for you.]

When the last enemy in front of them fell, they grabbed clips off the floor and made their way inside the door that would lead them to the cell block.

“A trap,” Garrus whispered as they encountered no more resistance. “Looks like they do know you.”

“Yes,” she replied.

[Any day now, Shepard. I do have other things to do.]

When they passed through another set of doors to an open floor, her breath caught in her throat. Two floors filled with cells. Six enemies, five prisoners kneeling in front of them. It looked like one with a broken arm, and they were all bruised and bloody. No Thane.

“You called,” Shepard purred as she removed her helmet.

“You know,” the asari said with a smirk. “They say you’re half synthetic. I won’t deny your appearance fits the rumor.” Fuck, she forgot about the damn silver glitter. “I’d been trying to lure you out for months. Then I hear you left your precious Alliance.” The female laughed, making a show to lean on one of her lackeys. “I figured the best way to get you was to hijack a shuttle with an Admiral. It would seem I was right.”

“What can I say? The Alliance loves to use me,” Shepard replied.

“And with your precious leadership set to be executed, it would seem I have the upper hand. No electric dome can save you this time.”

“True,” Shepard answered. “Wouldn’t want to kill those I’m expected to rescue. A girl needs to get paid,” she lied. “There’s just one problem.”

“Would that be my guns on your men?”

“No,” Shepard replied as she crossed her arms.

“Don’t tell me this _Archangel_ will be an issue?”

Shepard made a show of wiping dust off her chest plate. “Nope.”

“It matters little,” the asari said as Shepard walked closer to her. “I’m prepared to triple what the Alliance pays you if you’ll join me.”

Shepard whistled as she nonchalantly stopped in front of Hackett, Garrus stayed put near the door. “I don’t know if you can afford that.”

“Make me an offer.”

“The Alliance pay is crap. I just came from making twelve thousand credits a month for a four to five day work month,” Shepard told her honestly.

“Who the hell would pay that much for so little work?!”

“And the job is waiting for me when I’m done here.”

A vent creaked above them. It would be a long drop for Thane. “What kind of work, Shepard?” The asari asked before being distracted by her shifting men. “What?”

Shepard smiled cruelly. “Can you offer me that, Miss Dantius?”

“How do you know my name?!”

Shepard chuckled as the woman began to panic, her men looking for the source of the sound. “Make me an offer,” she told Nassana, Shepard’s teeth bared threateningly. “Oh, darn it. It’s too late.”

Kasumi uncloaked, stunning Nassana before taking out one of the guards. Garrus and Thane right behind her. Before the bitch could so much as catch her breath, her men had hit the floor.

“Damn it, Shepard,” the asari said from the floor.

“Now what to do with you, Nassana…”

“I’ve got intel,” the woman said, her voice pleading.

“I’ll let the Alliance be the judge of that.” Shepard turned away from the line of Alliance personnel and headed to the door. “Cortez, pick up ready. Send in my secondary if it’s available.”

[Aye, aye,] his reply came.

Shepard said nothing as the group followed her out of the building, their shuttle and hers already waiting for them. “Your chariot, Admiral,” she said professionally as Garrus loaded and locked the prisoner down. When the turian exited the shuttle, she gave Steven one last look, mask in place, before turning and entering her own shuttle with her three teammates. She had to make sure he was okay.

There would be time for mourning later. When she was alone. She’d purposely cut him out so he wouldn’t suffer the same fate as she. And while she wanted nothing more than to message him, she knew it wouldn’t be worth the consequences.

“Thanks for coming, Kas,” Shepard told the thief softly.

“You were right, there was a lot of nice things to take,” Kasumi replied causing Shepard to chuckle roughly.

\--

“I can’t believe you would risk humanity and alliances over one relationship,” Kahoku said, astonished. “This entire situation has been handled poorly.”

“I agree,” David said. “Breaking the regs like this is usually ignored so long as the work doesn’t falter.”

“There wasn’t any favoritism shown,” Kahoku added. “No classified information shared.”

“And yet, Shepard was discharged, Alenko promoted, and an Admiral forbidden to continue the affair even though it no longer broke regulations,” David continued accusingly.

“I’m in agreement on this,” Gallan said. “I was outvoted. I didn’t see an issue. In fact, I saw improvements in both of their work.”

“Having the Hierarchy interested in dual species training was something we’d dreamed of,” Callaghan said as he entered the room and conversation. “I was outvoted as well. Three against two.”

“It is against the rules!” Jones said.

“And yet,” Gallan said, her voice cold as steel. “When you were caught with your pants around your knees with a fresh recruit’s head bobbing in your lap, it was perfectly okay.”

Jones reddened as the others head whipped around and stared at him. “You said you would never speak of it!”

“And you said you would be fair. Instead, you ruined a young woman’s career because your protégé was jealous. Or perhaps you asked him to help you since you seem to have an issue with Admiral Hackett…,” Gallan returned.

“Sir!” An analyst called as he burst through the boardroom doors. “Shepard did it! Admiral Hackett, plus the four alliance men and women are on the way back. There’s also a prisoner Shepard sent with them.”

“I guess one woman really does make a difference,” Gallan said, her glare on Jones.

“And Shepard?” Anderson asked.

“I thought you knew, Sir,” the man sputtered. “She requested a second shuttle for her and her team for pickup before she left the station. A human, turian, and drell. They’re gone, Sir.”

David knew she wouldn’t return to the Citadel. Not to stay. “I suggest you figure what to do pretty damn quick, Jones.” David warned. “Hackett is going to be livid that you used her after you kicked her to the curb.”


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Because I couldn't leave the sweet Ms_Saboteur heartbroken <3
> 
> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Special thanks to my beta!! Love you guys <3

Las Vegas, Nevada, The United States, Earth.

It felt like forever since she’d been here. But it had only been a year or so. It was hard to remember, really. The sidewalk was warm under her bare feet as she slowly made her way to the bar where her food was waiting for her. She was feeling… empty. She’d just watched her mother marry Janna, which was great. It was a relief to see her mother so happy. So loved.

But seeing it seemed to suck the life from her. She had toughed it out. She had stayed and drank before the women disappeared.

Only then did she make her way down the strip. It was a long walk, but she didn’t mind. The air was perfect for a stroll. The glow of the city lights against the sky slowly faded as stars began to appear. She loved it here.

The warm wind caressed her skin. She tried to focus on it instead of her thoughts. Or the memory of her mother’s sad smile every time she looked at her. Her mother felt guilty for being so happy when Jane was so utterly broken. But it was okay, her mother deserved joy in her life.

Right now, she was considering taking the Primarch’s offer. It had been months since they’d rescued Hackett. Six months? She wasn’t really sure but it felt like a hell of a lot longer. It would be easier if she got out of Alliance space for a while. At least long enough for her to heal.

Omega had been a brief stop, the place too filthy for her liking. Even if Aria’s offer was more than she’d been making on the Citadel. She’d kissed the asari’s cheek instead, telling her if she went back to dancing she’d come back and take Aria up on her offer. The woman understood what Shepard wasn’t saying. _My heart is broken, I need a break, I’ve lost my footing._

An hour into her walk, the stars began appearing in earnest. It was something she used to love, but as she stared up at them all it did was cut into her already raw soul. But she continued on because what else could she do? Besides, there was a burger waiting for her in her near future.

The bar looked exactly the same as it had the last time she had stepped through the time portal. But the bike she wanted parked out front wasn’t there. She didn’t expect it to be but she would be lying if she said she hadn’t hoped it was. Taking a shallow breath, she opened the door and stepped into one of her favorite places.

“Doll!” Frank called out, his husband peeking his head through the kitchen door to send her a wink.

“My favorite tavern wench!” She replied with a smile she actually felt.

“I hoped when that order came in that it was for you, I’ve missed you,” he told her before he swallowed her up in a hug she didn’t know she needed. “Are you going to stay and eat?”

“Yes,” she told him as he set her back down on her feet. “I’d like a double of whiskey, top shelf, and the freshest beer on tap please.”

Frank entertained her while she ate her meal. His husband even making a brief appearance to get a holo of the pair. “Sweetheart, my husband has been terribly worried!”

“My apologies for not leaving my comm code,” she told them.

It was so heartwarmingly funny to see a big burly bearded man married to a thin flamboyant man. Only because she pegged Frank as having different tastes. But they obviously adored each other. It hurt seeing their love, but it was still beautiful. Shepard humored them and let them pamper her with food and ryncol as they caught up on everything making sure to mention their enjoyment of Westerland gossip news.

They refused to let her pay. Instead, she sent them her comm code and promised to return and keep in touch with the dynamic duo.

Stepping back out into the desert air, she closed her eyes and inhaled. Rain was coming but maybe being caught in it would be just what she needed. She exhaled slowly before opening her eyes.

“Do you want a ride?” a deep voice asked from behind her.

A leather jacket slipped into place on her shoulders as a quiet sob left her. She took a shuddery breath and turned. “You or the bike?”

Hackett gently wiped a tear off her cheek that managed to escape, “Both, but I wouldn’t be opposed to just giving a beautiful woman a ride on the bike.”

She chuckled, enjoying reliving the first conversation they had ever had. “How’d you know where I was?”

“Hannah,” he said quietly. “The jacket works better if your arms are in it.”

“You’ll be stripped of your rank, Steven,” she reminded him, her voice cracking. 

“It just so happens that I’ve come from a very important meeting,” he told her as he took her shoes from her fingers and put them in the saddlebag. “They’re offering your post and rank back.”

“Conditions being I can’t so much as breathe in your direction?” She asked, not really needing to know the answer.

“I threatened retirement,” He told her with a chuckle as he stood. “They quickly agreed to my terms.” He lifted her hand, kissing her knuckles before gently putting them in the arm of his jacket. “Conditions being that I can marry you. That you remain under my command. That in the event our work falters, you be transferred back to Kahoku without any disciplinary action on our files.”

“Marry you?” she whispered, her throat tight as fresh tears fell down her cheeks.

“Marry me,” he repeated as he slid her other arm into his jacket. “Unless you’ve moved on…”

She swallowed down a sob, “I told you…obsessed.”

“Want that ride now, Jane?” he asked her roughly as he got seated.

She couldn’t suppress the shiver. “I want it just as much as the first time,” Her front pressed against his back, mouth at his ear. “Daddy,” she whispered.

 

** EPILOGUE **

“Come on, Vega, I know you’ve got more than that!” Shepard called from her observation point as James and Vega sparred. Today had been a busy day with all her instructors returning in force. 

“It looks like the Primarch will be joining us, Commander,” Hackett told her as he joined her at the top of the bleachers.

“How many turians is he bringing?”

“Two dozen.”

“Well,” Shepard said. “That’s more than I expected for a first run.”

They watched in silence for several minutes until James hit the mat again. “You’re improving Vega! Krios and Williams, you’re up.”

“You should know that Alenko has officially been moved to Kahoku’s command again.” Hackett told her quietly.

There really wasn’t anything Shepard could say to that statement. She was relieved, definitely. “Will I get biotic turians?”

“There are two,” Hackett answered. “The Primarch is interested to see what you have planned for them.”

“Sweet,” she whispered before taking her eyes off of the match below and meeting her husband’s. “I love you.” Hackett’s eyes widened, his breath catching in his throat as she smirked. She hadn’t told him before. He knew she cared about him, she’d just never thought to voice it.

Before she could speak again, his eyes darkened. “Got ten minutes, Jane?”

“I’ve always got time for you,” she whispered. “Daddy.”

“Damn it, girl,” he said quietly. “I love you, too.” He told her as he offered her his arm to escort her to her office. Shepard smirked as he darkened the window and locked the door.

“You would think after been married for months that the honeymoon stage would have worn off,” she teased as he roughly unbuttoned her pants.

“What can I say?” He whispered huskily in her ear as he pushed her pants over her hips and pressed himself against her backside. “I’m obsessed.”

A gasp left her lips as he pressed himself against her opening. “That’s my line,” she complained shakily. But it was quickly forgotten as her husband distracted her.


End file.
